It is interesting that, unlike other drawbridges, the Tower Bridge is opened not at a certain time of the day, but according to a special schedule, which is drawn up by Tower Bridge employees so that the ship has the opportunity to pass along the river.
This schedule is unchanged and will not be adjusted even if VIPs drive across the bridge - as happened once with Bill Clinton: when the US President's motorcade was passing through the bridge, it suddenly began to rise, as a result of which part of the convoy remained on another side of the river. No calls to the police helped: the bridge sank no sooner than an ordinary barge had passed it.
Tower Bridge, or as the British call it, Tower Bridge, connects the southern and northern banks of the Thames, is located in the center of London, the capital of Great Britain, not far from the Tower, according to numerous descriptions - one of the most famous and ominous dungeons in the world, after which this one was named crossing. You can find the attraction at the address: Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 2UP, and its geographical coordinates are: 51° 30′ 20″ N. latitude, 0° 4′ 30″w. d.
According to official information, the history of Tower Bridge began in 1876, when the city authorities decided to build a new crossing, which would first of all relieve London Bridge, as well as other London bridges located in the area.
In 1876, a competition was announced, to which many eminent architects sent their works. It took a long time to select a project that would fully meet all the requirements of the commission - the winner of the competition was determined only after eight years. It turned out to be the work of Horace Jones - the London drawbridge in gothic style with pedestrian galleries, allowing people to calmly cross to the other side while the bridge is being raised.
On preparatory work It took the British about two years, and therefore the construction of one of the most famous bridges in England began in 1886 and lasted eight years: the official opening of the Tower Bridge took place in the summer of 1894. Unfortunately, Horace Johnson died a year after construction began, so John Wolfe-Berry was appointed chief architect.
External characteristics
In order to build one of the most famous landmarks in London, the British needed more than 1 million British pounds. Just to build the towers and corridors for pedestrians, about eleven thousand tons of metal were used, and in order to protect the structure from rust, it was decided to line the towers with granite and Portland stone. The work turned out to be difficult, involving about 350 workers, ten of whom died during construction.
Designed by Horace Jones, the Tower Bridge in London is a drawbridge, 244 m long, with two rectangular metal structures about 65 m high installed in the river, resembling an elongated Gothic castle.
It is noteworthy that they were created not only to connect the pedestrian galleries, but also to hold the lifting part of the bridge and the balance of its rising spans. Since these towers were not installed on the bank, but in the Thames itself, they were placed on a very thick platform and connected to each other by two spans.
roadway
Below there was a road 61 m long and consisting of two lifting spans weighing 1200 tons, which rose at an angle of 83° during the passage of the ship, allowing ships with a cargo capacity of up to 20 thousand tons to pass under the bridge.
Thanks to the counterweights provided by the designer, which were attached to each lifting part of the structure, bridge employees are able to open it in one minute. If previously the roadway was built using a hydraulic system consisting of eight motors (they were also responsible for the operation of the elevators) and powered by water steam, now the system has been improved and runs on oil and electricity.
Interestingly, this London Bridge has never been opened on schedule. Previously, the spans were always raised when a ship was supposed to pass under it: as the ship approached the structure, a signal sounded, which meant that the bridge would begin to open, after which everyone hastily left it, and the entrance was blocked by barriers.
As the ship passed, another signal was heard - Tower Bridge was closing and traffic was resuming.
It is worth noting that it was not always possible to leave Tower Bridge on time. One day, for some reason, the signal to open the bridge was not given, and therefore the bus driver, Albert Ganton, who was driving along the bridge, suddenly saw the Tower Bridge begin to rise. The decision was made instantly - he pressed the gas and jumped onto another flight that had not yet started moving. This saved the lives of him and twenty passengers (although twelve of them received minor injuries), and Gunton was given a bonus of 10 pounds sterling.
Now, although the schedule exists, it is irregular and is drawn up several months in advance at the request of large ships that need to pass London Bridge. Anyone who wants to see this event can find information about when this will happen on the bridge’s special website or on the notice board installed near the Tower Bridge. It is interesting that if previously the London Bridge was opened about fifty times a day, now it is done only five to six once a week. The schedule creates this charitable organization"City Bridges Fund", which is responsible for Tower Bridge and other bridges in London.
Pedestrian galleries
Pedestrian galleries were built above the roadway of the attraction, at a height of more than forty meters, which could be reached by spiral staircases of three hundred steps or using elevators accommodating about thirty people. Interesting fact: each tower had two elevators - one for descent, the second for ascent.
Pedestrian galleries were not particularly popular among townspeople, since most preferred to wait for a ship to pass by and look at the drawbridge than to overcome a high rise or ride in an elevator.
Quite soon, these galleries became famous as a gathering place for pickpockets, which is why they were closed in 1910 and opened to visitors only in 1982, with a museum dedicated to the history of the bridge and an observation deck from which you can see the City area and the dome of the Greenwich Observatory. , St. Paul's Cathedral, St. Catherine's Docks.
At the end of 2014, in one of the galleries, in honor of the one hundred and twentieth anniversary of the founding of this London landmark, a platform with a transparent floor eleven meters long and about two meters wide was opened. It was assembled from six glass panels, each of which is 7.6 cm thick and weighs 530 kg.
The project was not cheap and cost £1 million. Now everyone has the opportunity, standing on a transparent floor and looking at their feet, to watch the London Bridge open, ships sail or cars drive. Women in miniskirts have nothing to fear: the glass floor is designed so that people below cannot see those who are upstairs at the same time.
Most people know that Tower Bridge is one of the main attractions in the UK. Outside of England, the image of this bridge can be found on stamps and postcards, and even on the cover of English textbooks.
Construction across the Thames: historical background
Tower Bridge has a “twin brother” who looks like it from afar. We are talking about London Bridge here. Although Tower Bridge was rebuilt later (in 1894), it became one of the iconic symbols of the capital.
The bridge appeared as a response to the increased pedestrian and horse traffic in the East End. In 1876, the government organized a competition for the most best project bridge.
Only in 1884 it was decided that the bridge would be built according to Johnsom's design. The bridge was actively built for eight years, then the Prince of Wales, who was present at the opening, took over the work.
Structure of the building
Tower construction is, in essence, drawbridge with unaffected pedestrian zone. The bridge stretches 244 meters in length. It has support towers, 65 meters each.
The two lifting sides of Tower Bridge weigh more than a thousand tons. The bridge itself operates on a complex hydraulic system.
The pedestrian gallery is located at a height of 44 meters between the load-bearing towers. Today there is a tourist site on the bridge, offering a marvelous view of London.
To protect all elements from corrosion, the bridge was faced with Victorian-style stone. That's why it looks like a very old historical structure.
The cost of the new bridge cost London approximately £1 million, which Londoners considered a very reasonable amount.
Interesting facts
There are many stories associated with the bridge near the Tower. Here are some of them:
- One day, pilot McClean managed to fly a biplane between the bridge towers;
- The unlucky bus driver got the time wrong and drove across the bridge just as it was being opened. The driver had to press the gas for the bus to successfully jump over the resulting gap;
- Today the bridge is raised several times a week. Previously, wiring was carried out several times a day;
- The bridge has a personal captain and his team of assistants who are responsible for operating the hydraulic system.
Tower Bridge is a London celebrity. It is difficult to imagine the capital of Britain without this bridge. In the evenings, beautiful lights are lit on the bridge, which are reflected in the waters of the Thames, and the bridge becomes even more beautiful than in the daytime.
There are many known cities built on the river, which can boast of their wonderful bridges, as well as the legends associated with them. London, however, is a city where bridges themselves are a noticeable landmark. This is the calling card of the city. But in addition to being spectacular, bridges are also unique and rich in history. You can talk a lot about each of them and it’s quite exciting!
The Thames is the legendary river of Great Britain. It was above it that unique and completely different bridges were located, which became the decoration of the city.
In total, you can count 30 bridges across rivers in London; in the center of the city there is the famous Tower Bridge, as well as the Millennium Bridge, Chelsea Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Vauxhall, Lambeth, London Bridge and Westminster Bridge. Let's look at some of them.
London Bridge
This bridge was the only one in London before 1750 built across the Thames. The very first London Bridge was built by the Romans back in the 1st century, and it was made of wood. Since that time, bridges have changed each other with a certain periodicity, but always had one common name- London Bridge.
The modern bridge opened on March 16, 1973. This happened with the direct participation of Queen Elizabeth II. It is the busiest city highway. The length of the structure is 262 meters, width – 32 meters.
Tourists really enjoy visiting this historical and picturesque place. You can enjoy the incredible views of the city, especially in the evening, from the bridge towers.
Westminster Bridge
It was built back in 1862 and is currently the oldest bridge in the capital of Great Britain. For more than 150 years, it practically does not require repairs.
In addition to its historical value, the popularity of this bridge is explained by the fact that it offers excellent views of other attractions. For example, from here you can see another symbol of the capital of Britain - the famous Big Ben, as well as the Palace of Congresses with Westminster Abbey.
Vauxhall
The first iron bridge with tram traffic, which appeared in 1816. The bridge is very impressive appearance– it stands out with its red and yellow color; there are interesting sculptures on its supports.
Lambeth
Its history dates back to 1860. Previously it served as a pedestrian crossing. In 1929, renovation work began. The result was a new bridge made of steel and reinforced concrete with five spans. The width of the bridge is 18 meters, length – 236.5 meters.
The bridge is interesting for its unusualness and decoration - the lattice pylons at each end of the bridge are decorated with pineapples on top.
Waterloo 
The opening of this stone bridge took place in 1945, and this name was given to it in honor of the Battle of Waterloo, which was victorious for England.
If you want to see the entire center of the capital, then you need to go to this bridge! It will offer a magnificent view of the City, which is the business center of the city, and of Westminster Abbey. You can also see the famous Canary Dockyard and the Ferris wheel, also called the London Eye.
Blackfriars
Majestic London can also be clearly seen from Blackfriars Bridge, which has existed since 1869. It is named after a monastery that existed back in the 13th century. From here you can clearly see St. Paul's Cathedral and the famous Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
Millennium
This bridge, built according to an unusual suspension type design, was opened in the summer (June) of 2000. So it rightfully bears the title of the newest bridge in the capital. Its full name sounds like London Millennium Footbridge and translates as “London Millennium Footbridge”.
Tower Bridge 
This is the only drawbridge on the Thames. It was built in 1894. Perhaps it is the most famous in London, the most remarkable and interesting. The bridge consists of 2 towers with a height of 293 feet, and also includes two drawable parts weighing 1000 tons each.
Tower Bridge is a symbol of London, which is why it is so loved by foreigners coming to the UK.
As you can see, each bridge is interesting in its own way and each deserves attention. Photo materials used from Wikimedia © Foto, Wikimedia Commons
The city of London has several beautiful bridges, which serve both as transport routes and as decoration of the English capital. These attractions include the famous Tower and London Bridges, as well as the Millennium Bridge.
Tower Bridge.
The famous Tower Bridge over the River Thames is located in the center of London, not far from the Tower building. It can be called business card cities.
Tower Bridge is a beautiful structure with two bridge towers. Thanks to them, pedestrians can cross the Thames on a raised bridge. The towers have observation platforms, upon climbing which you can see a wide panorama of London. The bridge was opened in 1894 and since then has been considered one of the landmarks of the capital of England.
London Bridge.
London Bridge, one of the famous bridges of the English capital. Until the eighteenth century, it was the only bridge over the Thames in the city of London. It burned and collapsed many times, but was still rebuilt, and to this day is one of the busiest thoroughfares in London. Last time the bridge was rebuilt in 1972. The bridge has two towers, made in the ancient style. It is located in historical center London.
You can always see tourists with cameras on London Bridge. From here they open beautiful views to the ancient city of London.
Millennium Bridge.
The Millennium Bridge was built in honor of the beginning of the 3rd millennium. This bridge is low in height, flat and suspended on cables. The Millennium is a pedestrian bridge over the River Thames. The author of the project is the famous architect Norman Foster. The bridge seems airy, light and very beautiful. But it is still a very solid structure. In the evening, the bridge is illuminated; this magical spectacle serves as a decoration for the ancient English capital.
The Millennium Bridge, when viewed from above, looks like an arrow with a forked end.
On both sides of the bridge is St. Paul's Cathedral and the Globe Theater.
Publication date:
2015-11-21
(English: Tower Bridge) is a combined (partly suspension, partly drawbridge) bridge across the Thames, built in the neo-Gothic style in 1886–1894. The bridge got its name due to its close proximity to the Tower and over time became one of the symbols of London.
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History of Tower Bridge
In the second half of the 19th century, the increased economic importance of the East End area and, as a result, the intensification of transport and pedestrian flows in it, raised the question of building a new transport crossing below London Bridge along the Thames. A traditional bridge was not suitable for such purposes, since it would make it impossible for ships with high masts to enter the port of London.
In 1877, a "Select Committee on Bridges and Underground Communications" was formed to solve this problem, headed by Sir Albert J. Altman. More than 50 projects were submitted to the committee for consideration. Their study lasted a very long time - only after 7 years, in 1884, the design proposed by the city architect, Sir Horatio Jones, was approved. To solve the problem of the passage of ships, engineer Sir John Wolfe-Barry proposed the idea of a combined bridge - the central section of the bridge between the two towers was supposed to be movable, and the sections from the towers to the banks were suspended.
After eight years of construction, the bridge was inaugurated June 30, 1894 The Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII) and his wife Alexandra of Denmark.
Before the construction of the bridge, the shortest route of communication across the Thames was the Tower Underground Tunnel (located 400 meters west of the bridge). It was opened in 1870 and is one of the oldest metro lines in the world, but train service on it was stopped after only 3 months. After some time the crossing was opened to pedestrian traffic for a fee, but after the construction of Tower Bridge its income fell sharply (its use was free) and the tunnel was closed in 1898.
In 1977, the metal structures of the bridge were painted red, blue and white colors on the occasion of the celebration of the silver jubilee of Elizabeth II. The original color of metal structures is chocolate brown.
IN beginning of XXI century, the reconstruction of Tower Bridge was carried out, including the removal of old paint, repainting and installation new system lighting on towers and pedestrian galleries.
In 2012, Tower Bridge became one of the sites on which Olympic symbols were placed in connection with the event in London. Olympic Games. During the opening ceremony of the games, famous football player David Beckham carried the Olympic flame on a sports boat under the bridge, after which a grandiose fireworks display was launched from the bridge.
Tower Bridge, like four other bridges across the Thames, belongs to charitable foundation Bridge House Estates, which in turn is controlled by the City of London Corporation, the municipal administration of London's oldest borough.
- group tour (no more than 15 people) for a first acquaintance with the city and main attractions - 2 hours, 15 pounds
- see the historical core of London and learn about the main stages of its development - 3 hours, 30 pounds
- find out where and how the culture of tea and coffee drinking was born, and plunge into the atmosphere of those glorious times - 3 hours, 30 pounds
Construction of the bridge has begun in 1886 under the direction of Sir Horatio Jones. Famous engineers and architects, as well as 432 workers, were involved in the construction. First, massive concrete supports weighing more than 70 thousand tons were poured at the bottom of the Thames. More than 11 thousand tons of steel were used to create the towers and passages themselves. The towers and external galleries were then lined with Portland limestone and Cornish granite to protect the steelwork from corrosion and give the bridge a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.
In 1887, Sir Jones died, and the construction work was headed by J. Stevenson. New leader made changes to architectural style towers with the aim of making their appearance more “Gothic” and in harmony with the appearance of the nearby Tower. The total cost of construction of the bridge was 1.184 million pounds sterling (114 million at the 2014 exchange rate).
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Design Features
The length of the bridge is 244 meters, each of the two towers is 65 meters high. The central span between the towers is 61 meters long and consists of two adjustable wings, which, if necessary, rise up to 86 degrees to allow ships to pass along the Thames. The adjustable wings weigh 1,000 tons each; used to lift them special system counterweights in order to minimize the effort and time required to raise the bridge. Thanks to this, the full lift of the wings is achieved in just in 1 minute.
The adjustable wings are driven by a hydraulic system located in the towers. The system was originally based on hydraulic accumulators, which stored water under a pressure of 5.2 megapascals. Water was pumped into the batteries by two steam engines with a power of 270 kilowatts each. In 1974, this system was replaced by an electro-hydraulic one. It uses special oil instead of water, and the engines are replaced with electric ones. Selected elements of the bridge's original hydraulic system are today part of the Tower Bridge exhibition.
The sections of the bridge between the towers and the banks of the Thames are suspension bridges, each 82 meters long. The chains supporting the bridge are attached on one side to the towers, and on the other to the shore abutments of the bridge.
Transport value
Tower Bridge is the most important transport artery in London. More than 40 thousand motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians cross it every day. In order to protect the bridge from traffic vehicles restrictions are imposed: the maximum speed is limited to 32 km/h, and the maximum weight is 18 tons. Compliance with these restrictions is monitored by a special system that includes laser sensors (to measure the height of cars and their speed), cameras (to detect violators) and piezoelectric sensors (to determine the weight of cars by the pressure on the road surface).
The bridge is raised approximately 1,000 times a year. Today, vessel traffic on the Thames is significantly less intense than a hundred years ago, but, as before, it takes precedence over traffic. Ships must notify the bridge administration no later than 24 hours before the expected time of passage. Ship passage is free.
Pedestrian galleries
The design of the Tower Bridge provided for the possibility of pedestrians crossing it even during the opening of the spans. For this purpose, in addition to the usual pedestrian sidewalks located on both sides of the roadway, two pedestrian galleries were built between the two towers at an altitude of 44 meters above river level. They could be reached via stairs located inside the towers.
Almost immediately after the opening of the bridge, the pedestrian galleries between the towers acquired an unsavory reputation. The fact is that since it was necessary to climb the galleries to a fairly decent height by stairs, ordinary citizens tried not to go there, and soon the galleries were chosen by pickpockets, prostitutes and other unreliable individuals for their meetings. For this reason, the galleries were closed in 1910. It was not re-opened until 1982 as the Tower Bridge exhibition, which also included the interior of the towers and the Victorian engine room where the power plants that raise the bridge are located. The galleries are also used as observation decks, which offer beautiful views of central London. Entrance to the galleries is paid.
- In May 1997, US President Bill Clinton's motorcade was cut in half while crossing the bridge as the bridge was opened to accommodate the barge Gladys. The cortege was a little behind schedule, but the ship passed the bridge according to it, and since the rules give priority to river traffic, the bridge was raised. This incident caused outrage on the part of the US presidential security services, to which the spokesman for the Tower Bridge Authority said: “We tried to contact the American embassy about this by phone, but no one answered there.”
- Tower Bridge and another bridge over the Thames - London - are often confused. In 1968, London Bridge was sold and, according to a widespread legend, its buyer, American businessman Robert McCulloch, believed that he was actually buying Tower Bridge - one of the symbols of the capital of Foggy Albion. However, the entrepreneur himself denies this.
- The bridge, as one of the symbols of London, often appears in feature films about the life of the English capital. Thus, it can be seen in the films “Sherlock Holmes” (he is shown here still at the construction stage), “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street”, “ Black Butler», « Street dancing"and in many others.
- In 1952, the bridge's opening mechanism erroneously operated when a city bus passed the drawbridge. Driver Albert Gunter succeeded by squeezing maximum speed to avoid the bus falling into the water and injuring passengers. For this, Gunther received a reward of 10 pounds from the City of London Corporation (in terms of 2014 prices - 263 pounds sterling).
- On April 5, 1968, RAF Lieutenant Alan Pollock flew his Hawker Hunter fighter aircraft under the bridge's walkways without permission. The reason for this action was the pilot’s disappointment in connection with the refusal of the leadership of the Royal Air Force to hold an air parade to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its creation. The pilot was arrested and fired from the Air Force.
- Some rooms in the bridge's towers and pedestrian galleries can be rented for weddings, private or corporate events.
- A copy of the bridge towers can be seen in the city of Suzhou in China.