 The new bridge was the first self @-@ anchored suspension bridge in Britain , and was built entirely with materials sourced from within the British Empire . During the early 1950s it became popular with motorcyclists , who staged regular races across the bridge . One such meeting in 1970 erupted into violence , resulting in the death of one man and the imprisonment of 20 others . Chelsea Bridge is floodlit from below during the hours of darkness , when the towers and cables are illuminated by 936 feet ( 285 m ) of light @-@ emitting diodes . In 2008 it achieved Grade II listed status . In 2004 a smaller bridge , Battersea Footbridge , was opened beneath the southern span , carrying the Thames Path beneath the main bridge . 
