Bishopsford Road Bridge
{{Short description|Bridge in London}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox bridge
| name = Bishopsford Road Bridge
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| coordinates = {{Coord|51|23|43.38|N|0|10|24.29|W|display=inline,title}}
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| carries = Road
| crosses = River Wandle
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| other_name = Mitcham Bridge
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Bishopsford Road Bridge (also called Mitcham Bridge) is a bridge in London that carries a road over the River Wandle.
History
The bridge was rebuilt around 1759 with funding from the county of Surrey, though a bridge in this location had existed for some time prior.{{Cite web|title=Mitcham Bridge|url=https://photoarchive.merton.gov.uk/collections/transport/51395-mitcham-bridge|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-19|website=Merton Memories Photographic Archive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119122349/https://photoarchive.merton.gov.uk/collections/transport/51395-mitcham-bridge |archive-date=19 November 2021 }} The bridge was widened and a parallel pedestrian bridge built in the 1940s.{{Cite web|title=London Road - Mitcham Mills and Mitcham Bridge|url=https://www.layersoflondon.org/map/records/london-road-mitcham-mills-and-mitcham-bridge|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-19|website=Layers of London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119122400/https://www.layersoflondon.org/map/records/london-road-mitcham-mills-and-mitcham-bridge |archive-date=19 November 2021 }} Work on stabilising the bridge was started in April 2019.
The bridge collapsed on 14 June 2019 following flooding in the River Wandle four days earlier.{{Cite web|last=O'Connor|first=Tara|date=2019-11-29|title=A Merton councillor says there's been a 'lack of urgency' in getting Merton's collapsed Bishopsford Road Bridge open|url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/merton-councillor-says-theres-been-17339753|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-18|website=MyLondon|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026161620/https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/merton-councillor-says-theres-been-17339753 |archive-date=26 October 2020 }}
As a result of the collapse, the routes 118, 280, N44 and N133 buses had to be diverted. A temporary route, numbered 718, was introduced on 30 November 2019 with a half-hourly frequency to restore service from stops previously served by 118, N133 to Morden tube station.
In 2020, the remains of the bridge were demolished. In October 2020, designs for a new bridge were approved.{{Cite web|last=Charsley|first=Monica|date=2020-10-23|title=Bishopsford Road Bridge expected to open in 2021|url=https://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/18818760.bishopsford-road-bridge-design-gets-green-light/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-19|website=Wimbledon Times|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029112720/https://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/18818760.bishopsford-road-bridge-design-gets-green-light/ |archive-date=29 October 2020 }}
The bridge was reopened to cars in October 2021, and to buses in December 2021.{{Cite web|last=O'Connor|first=Tara|date=2021-10-20|title=South London bridge reopens after two years but buses still can't use it|url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/south-london-bridge-finally-reopened-21917573|access-date=2021-11-19|website=MyLondon|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Marius|first=Callum|date=2021-11-10|title=One of London's shortest bus routes that takes 7 minutes is set to disappear|url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/one-shortest-london-bus-routes-22121695|access-date=2021-11-18|website=MyLondon|language=en}}