Pulteney Bridge

Pulteney Bridge
Pulteney Bridge in 2014
Coordinates	51°22′59″N 2°21′28″W / 51.38306°N 2.35778°W / 51.38306; -2.35778
Carries	Buses, taxis, cyclists, pedestrians
Crosses	River Avon
Locale	Bath
Maintained by	Bath and North East Somerset
Characteristics
Design	Arch bridge
Material	Bath stone
Total length	45 metres (148 ft)
Width	18 metres (58 ft)
No. of spans	3
Piers in water	2
History
Designer	Robert Adam
Constructed by	Reed and Lowther (bridge) Singers and Lankeshere (shops)
Construction start	1769
Construction end	1774
Location

Pulteney Bridge is a bridge over the River Avon in Bath, England. It was completed by 1774, and connected the city with the land of the Pulteney family which the family wished to develop. Designed by Robert Adam in a Palladian style, it is highly unusual in that it has shops built across its full span on both sides. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.^[1]

Within 20 years of its construction, alterations were made that expanded the shops and changed the façades. By the end of the 18th century, it had been damaged by floods, but was rebuilt to a similar design. Over the next century alterations to the shops included cantilevered extensions on the bridge's north face. In the 20th century, several schemes were carried out to preserve the bridge and partially return it to its original appearance, enhancing its appeal as a tourist attraction.

The bridge is now 45 metres (148 ft) long and 18 metres (58 ft) wide. Although there have been plans to pedestrianise the bridge, it is still used by buses and taxis. The much photographed bridge and weir below are close to the centre of the city, a World Heritage Site, renowned for its Georgian architecture.