Editing Metropolitan Board of Works (section)

===Streets and bridges===
Activities included [[Slum clearance in the United Kingdom|slum clearance]] and making new streets to relieve traffic congestion. The most important streets built were [[Charing Cross Road]], Garrick Street, [[Southwark Street]] and [[Northumberland Avenue|Northumberland]] and [[Shaftesbury Avenue]]s. 

{{anchor|Metropolis Toll Bridges Act 1877}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Metropolis Toll Bridges Act 1877
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to provide for throwing open for the free use of the Public certain Toll Bridges within the Metropolis.
| year                  = 1877
| citation              = [[40 & 41 Vict.]] c. xcix
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 12 July 1877
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = 
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
From 1869 the MBW bought all the private bridges across its section of the [[Tideway]] (Thames) and freed them of tolls. It also rebuilt [[Putney Bridge|Putney]], [[Battersea Bridge|Battersea]], [[Waterloo Bridge|Waterloo]] and [[Hammersmith Bridge]]s. 

;Commons-tabled plans for a bridge serving the role of [[Tower Bridge]]
The board wanted to build a new bridge east of [[London Bridge]], discussed for many years. In 1878 Bazalgette drew up plans which were estimated at £1.25 million ({{Inflation|GBP|1250000|1878|r=-6|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}). The Treasury refused to help by upping the coal and wine duties (most of the board's income). The MBW advanced its plans, but saw its [[private bill]] which included negotiated payments and similar rejected by the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] for lack of headroom for light shipping.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bracken |first=G. Byrne |page=56|title=Walking Tour London: Sketches of the city's architectural treasures... Journey Through London's Urban Landscapes |publisher=Marshall Cavendish|year=2011|isbn=978-9-814-43536-9}}</ref>