aper ▁bridge ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁specific ations ▁but ▁refused ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁design , ▁so ▁Julian ▁Tol mé ▁was ▁appointed ▁designer ▁in ▁his ▁place . ▁Tol mé ▁designed ▁a ▁stark ly ▁functional ▁lattice ▁tr uss ▁bridge ▁of ▁wr ought ▁iron . ▁It ▁cost ▁£ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁( about ▁£ ▁in ▁) ▁to ▁build , ▁and ▁consisted ▁of ▁five ▁identical ▁sp ans , ▁supported ▁by ▁four ▁pairs ▁of ▁concrete - filled ▁iron ▁pi ers ; ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁cyl ind rical ▁pi ers ▁was ▁s unk ▁ ▁into ▁the ▁river bed . ▁The ▁bridge ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁open ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁but ▁the ▁work men ▁building ▁it ▁went ▁on ▁strike , ▁and ▁a ▁third ▁Act ▁of ▁Parliament ▁was ▁necessary ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁company ▁time ▁to ▁resolve ▁the ▁dispute ▁and ▁complete ▁the ▁project . ▁ ▁W and sw orth ▁Bridge ▁was ▁formally ▁opened ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁ceremony ▁on ▁ 2 6 ▁September ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁and ▁a ▁celebr atory ▁buff et ▁was ▁provided ▁at ▁the ▁nearby ▁Sp read ▁E agle ▁pub . ▁A ▁util itar ian ▁structure ▁made ▁of ▁mismatch ed ▁materials ▁purchased ▁for ▁cheap ness , ▁the ▁new ▁bridge ▁el ic ited ▁un enth us i astic ▁responses ; ▁the ▁Illustr ated ▁London ▁News ▁remarked ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁its ▁opening ▁that ▁" No ▁attempt ▁has ▁been ▁made ▁to ▁produce ▁architect ural ▁effect , ▁the ▁structure ▁being ▁substantial ▁rather ▁than ▁orn amental ". ▁A ▁d ▁to ll ▁was ▁charged ▁on ▁ped est