Holborn Viaduct is a bridge in London and the name of the street which crosses it (which is a section of the A40

A40 road

The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...

). It links Holborn

Holborn

Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...

, via Holborn Circus

Holborn Circus

Holborn Circus is a famous location in London, on the boundary between Holborn and Smithfield. Holborn Circus is a roundabout.On one side lies the Church of St Andrew, Holborn, an ancient Guild Church, that survived the Great Fire of London. However, the parochial authority decided, nevertheless,...

, with Newgate Street

Newgate Street

Newgate Street refers to:*Newgate and Newgate Street in London*Newgate Street, Hertfordshire, a village in Hertfordshire*Newgate Street, Newcastle, a shopping and entertainment street in Newcastle upon Tyne...

 in the City of London

City of London

The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...

, passing over Farringdon Street and the now subterranean River Fleet

River Fleet

The River Fleet is the largest of London's subterranean rivers. Its two headwaters are two streams on Hampstead Heath; each is now dammed into a series of ponds made in the 18th century, the Hampstead Ponds and the Highgate Ponds. At the south edge of Hampstead Heath these two streams flow...

.

It was built between 1863 and 1869, at a cost of over two million pounds. It spanned the steep-sided Holborn Hill and the River Fleet

River Fleet

The River Fleet is the largest of London's subterranean rivers. Its two headwaters are two streams on Hampstead Heath; each is now dammed into a series of ponds made in the 18th century, the Hampstead Ponds and the Highgate Ponds. At the south edge of Hampstead Heath these two streams flow...

 valley. City Surveyor William Haywood

William Haywood (engineer)

William J. Haywood was a surveyor and an engineer to the City of London Commissioners of Sewers. He was also known as an architect.- Personal life :...

 was the architect and it was opened by Queen Victoria at the same time as Blackfriars Bridge

Blackfriars Bridge

Blackfriars Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge, carrying the A201 road. The north end is near the Inns of Court and Temple Church, along with Blackfriars station...

.

Four statues on the parapets represent Commerce and Agriculture on the south side, both by sculptor Henry Bursill, and Science and Fine Arts on the north side, both by the sculpture firm of Farmer & Brindley

Farmer & Brindley

Farmer & Brindley was a firm of architectural sculptors and ornamentalists based in London, founded by William Farmer and William Brindley , who contributed to some of the greatest structures of the Victorian era....

. Staircases provide pedestrian access from the bridge to Farringdon Street.

Nearby was the Holborn Viaduct station, now replaced by the City Thameslink station.