Tower Bridge

The need for such a structure arose as a result of the country's sharp economic boom, which led to population and transportation growth. To address this issue, a competition for the bridge's design was announced by the authorities in 1876, and the architect Horace Jones was declared the winner. After his death in 1887, John Wolfe Barry continued the work.

Construction started on June 21, 1886, and lasted 8 years. Over 400 people worked on the construction of Tower Bridge. 11,000 tons of steel were used to create the metal structures. To protect them from corrosion, the towers were clad in stone.

The bridge's opening, attended by the Prince of Wales Edward and his wife Princess Alexandra, took place on June 30, 1894.

The bascule system was designed by engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry and Sir William Arrol & Co. Initially, water for the hydraulic system was pumped using two steam engines with a power of 360 hp each, which were coal-fired, but in 1974, the equipment was completely updated to an electrical drive.

Tower Bridge is both a bascule and suspension bridge. It has a length of 244 meters, and the height of the towers reaches 65 meters.

The two bascule spans of the bridge weigh over 1000 tons and can be raised to an angle of up to 83 degrees to allow ships to pass through. Despite their enormous weight and a length of 61 meters, the wings can be raised in one minute. Originally, the span was operated using a water hydraulic system with a working pressure of 50 bar. The water was accumulated by two steam installations with a total power of 360 hp. This system was created by W.G. Armstrong Mitchell Company.

In 1974, the water hydraulic system was replaced with an oil-based one with an electrical drive.

Originally, there was no schedule for raising the bridge. It was raised each time a ship approached, which could happen up to 50 times a day.

To allow pedestrians to cross the bridge during the lifting of the spans, special walkways were built at a height of 44 meters between the towers, accessed by stairs with 300 steps. Inside each tower, there were also two lifts (for ascending and descending), but this method of transportation proved too costly, and residents preferred to wait until the bridge was lowered. Consequently, in 1910, the walkways were closed, but since 1982 they have been used as a museum and observation decks. Nowadays, the bridge is raised according to a schedule based on ship movements, about 4 to 5 times a week.

In 2014, a glass floor was installed in one of the walkways. Visitors now have the unique opportunity to watch the bridge being raised right beneath their feet.

Tower Bridge and London Bridge are two different bridges. They are often confused, which led to a curious mix-up. At the end of the 20th century, an American entrepreneur, Robert McCulloch, bought the severely deteriorated London Bridge, thinking he had purchased Tower Bridge.

According to British laws, river traffic has priority over road traffic, and considering the bridge's lifting mechanism, it was raised every time a ship passed through. This could happen at any time. Once, this open schedule nearly caused a political scandal. In 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton visited London. At the moment he was supposed to cross the bridge, a signal was given, and the bridge began to lift. Bill Clinton had to give way to an ordinary fishing boat.

In 1952, the bridge's warning signal failed to operate, and it began to lift with a bus on it. To avoid a catastrophe, the bus driver, Albert Gunton, accelerated and jumped to the other side. A few passengers sustained minor injuries, but no one died. For his quick thinking, Gunton received a cash reward.

During the construction of the bridge, 500 workers were employed. Ten of them died.