The Albert Bridge is a road bridge over the River Thames in West London, connecting Chelsea on the north bank to Battersea on the south. Designed and built by Rowland Mason Ordish in 1873, it initially operated as a toll bridge but was commercially unsuccessful; the tolls were lifted after six years. The roadway is only 27 feet (8.2 m) wide and the bridge has serious structural weaknesses; it has been reinforced several times but never replaced, despite calls for closure or pedestrianisation.Photograph: David Iliff