Why does the new Victoria Bridge look like that?

Londoners will notice some significant design changes when they cross the new Victoria Bridge on Ridout Street for the first time.

On Thursday, over a hundred Londoners attended a ‘bridge party’ to celebrate completion of the new span over the Thames River connecting the Old South neighbourhood to the downtown.

Mayor Josh Morgan joked about being asked to cut the ribbon to finally open the delayed project, “They asked, what time works for you? And I said, as soon as possible because people are done waiting!”

Originally slated to open at the end of last summer, the project experienced several delays including addressing habitat for an endangered species of mussel that lives in the river.

The $22 million bridge will carry an estimated 12,000 vehicles a day, plus offer a safer route for pedestrians and cyclists.

The new bridge was a welcome sight for commuters, cyclists and pedestrians alike (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

The previous bridge required cyclists and drivers to share the lanes—the new design keeps them separated in two distinct ways.

Cyclists can travel northbound in a separated bike lane, or they can ride in either direction on an elevated multi-use pathway that is shared with pedestrians along the opposite side of the bridge.

The pathway resembles an extra-wide sidewalk.

Molly Miksa, the outgoing president of London Cycle Link told CTV News, “So if you're coming out of Thames Park, you don't have to cross to get to the other side, so I think it should be great.

“I think people will feel a lot safer being separated from cars,” said Councillor Skylar Franke. “I'm hoping that this becomes a very frequent route for cyclists and pedestrians.”

The previous city council considered replacing the previous span with a simple girder bridge, but eventually decided to support the through-arch design at an increased cost.

Director of Transportation and Mobility Doug MacRae said the design is about more than just aesthetics.

“There was an old pier that was in the middle of the river for 140 years that was catching debris, slowing down the flow, [and] creating more flooding upstream,” MacRae explained. “We realized getting this through arch design enabled us to remove the centre pier, get the abutments outside of the river, and also raise the elevation up.”

The mayor described the design as more resilient against higher water levels caused by climate change.

“I think the design was worth it,” added Councillor Franke. “Residents are just happy to have this bridge back and have it improved. Have it hopefully last another hundred years!”

London Transit Routes 4 and 15 will resume regular routing along Ridout Street on Friday, July 5.

The tennis courts in Thames Park will reopen in the coming weeks.

Funding for the project came from the City of London and Canada Community-Building Fund.