accompaniment to the bridge itself, a sizable arched brick viaduct crossing Richmond's Old Deer Park, was built for the bridge's eastern approach. This viaduct features ornamentation and decorative features, which was inserted into the design at the insistence of the Crown commissioners of the park. While the bridge proved itself to be relatively problem-free in operation, by the start of the twentieth century, there were considerable concerns over the Richmond Railway Bridge's structural integrity, largely due to the use of cast iron in its construction. To address these concerns, railway officials decided that the bridge ought to rebuilt to a new design, which was produced by the L&SWR's then-chief engineer, J. W. Jacomb-Hood. A contract to undertake the fabrication and erection of this second bridge was awarded to the Horseley Bridge Company in 1906. The second bridge, which was completed during 1908, actually retained or reused numerous elements of the first bridge, including the existing piers and abutments. This new design was sympathetic to the original bridge's design, with the distinctive open spandrels having been intentionally reproduced via vertical dividers. Considerable attention was paid to the bridge's aesthetics, particularly in respect to the new steel girders that formed a core element of this new structure. This steel superstructure primarily comprised four shallow-arched ribs for each span, which are braced together as two pairs and are pinned towards their ends as to permit movement; as such, each track is effectively carried by a separate steel arch bridge placed side-by-side. Further works have been performed to the structure over time. During 1984, the primary girders and decking of the bridge were entirely replaced. Despite having received multiple renewal programmes over the course of a century, the bridge is said to have retained much of the appearance of the original 1848 structure, while a significant proportion of historic fabric has also survived through to the present day. Both the Richmond Railway Bridge itself and its adjacent approach viaduct were declared to be a Grade II listed structure in 2008. This status is intended to protect the structure from any unsympathetic developments with the aim of preserving its special character. Gallery See also Crossings of the River Thames List of bridges in London Old Deer Park References External links Science and Society Picture Library – Locke's bridge Richmond Railway Bridge via thames.me.uk 1848 establishments in England Bridges across the River Thames Bridges completed in