The railway terminus was not built, and problems with drainage on the approach road made access to the bridge difficult for vehicles.

The fast flowing but narrow River Wandle at Wandsworth was well-situated for driving watermills, leading to the rapid spread of industry in the area during the 19th century.

[5] In 1864, it was expected that the newly formed Hammersmith and City Railway would build its western terminus on the north bank of the river between Chelsea and Fulham.

[6] The bridge was due to open in early 1873, but the workmen 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.

[6] Wandsworth Bridge was formally opened in a small ceremony on 26 September 1873, and a celebratory buffet was provided at the nearby Spread Eagle pub.

The plan for a terminus in Fulham was abandoned, and the line instead turned west at Hammersmith to run over London and South Western Railway tracks to Richmond.

[9] Despite having run at a loss throughout its lifetime, the Board of Works paid £53,313 (about £6.3 million in 2025) for the bridge,[8][13] a substantial premium on its £40,000 construction cost.

[9] As narrowness and weight restrictions meant that it was unable to carry buses,[17] in 1926 a Royal Commission recommended its replacement and the London County Council agreed to finance a new bridge on the site.

[18] In 1935, the Ministry of Transport agreed to finance 60 per cent of the projected £503,000 (about £44.1 million in 2025) cost of a replacement bridge,[8][18] and the London County Council approved a new design, by Sir Thomas Peirson Frank, for a three-span steel cantilever bridge 60 feet (18 m) in width, allowing two lanes of traffic in each direction, and designed to allow widening to 80 feet (24 m) if necessary.

[20] The steel panels cladding the bridge were painted in varying shades of blue to camouflage it from German and Italian air raids, a colour scheme it retains today.

In 1969 the Greater London Council built the A214 road, a three-lane dual carriageway linking the southern end of Wandsworth Bridge to Tooting.