Publication date:
2015-11-21
(English) Tower Bridge) - a combined (partly suspension, partly drawbridge) bridge across the Thames, built in 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, increased economic importance area of the East End and, as a consequence, the intensification of transport and pedestrian flows in it, raised the question of the city authorities of London about the construction of a new transport crossing below the 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 took a very long time for a 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 color and 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, is owned by the Bridge House Estates charity, which in turn is controlled by the City of London Corporation - municipal administration the oldest district of London.
- group excursion(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 the architectural style of the towers in order to make 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. Individual elements of the original hydraulic system The bridges 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 Vehicle 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 turbine hall where power plants, raising the bridge. The galleries are also used as observation platforms from which beautiful view to 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 motorcade was a little behind schedule, but the ship passed the bridge according to it, and since according to the rules priority is given 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 across 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, he 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 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.
One of London's most recognizable landmarks is Tower Bridge, built in 1894 by order of the Prince of Wales, later known as Edward VII.
For quite a long time, London Bridge remained the only bridge across the Thames, but the development of London as the capital of the kingdom contributed to the emergence of several more bridges. However, they were all built to the west.
In 1876, the City authorities decided that it was necessary to build a bridge in the eastern part of the city due to rapid growth population in this area. But first a number of problems had to be solved:
- The Thames is a navigable river, and it was necessary to prepare a design for a bridge that would not interfere with the passage of ships.
- The bridge was supposed to be located in the historical part of the city, so it had to fit into its appearance and not destroy it.
For this purpose, a competition was opened for best project, in which the most eminent architects and engineers took part. The organizers received over fifty works (These projects are now available for viewing in the Tower Bridge exhibition hall). 
Construction of Tower Bridge
The best project was recognized as a bridge designed in the neo-Gothic style and equipped with movable elements. Its authors were the architect G. Jones and the engineer J. W. Barry. Construction began in 1886 and lasted 8 years. To erect such a large-scale and beautiful structure (its length is 244 meters, and the central span, 61 meters long, is divided in two), five contractors were involved, and 432 people worked on the construction. 
The foundation of the Tower Bridge is multi-ton concrete piers on which two steel towers, 65 meters high, are installed. In the 19th century, they actively served as a haven for whores and thieves, until they were finally sealed in 1910. The towers are now part of the Tower Bridge Experience exhibition, opened in 1982. Inside there are stairs leading to the top of the bridge, which offers stunning views of London. The towers also serve as a “holder” for 82-meter-long suspension bridges.
Tower Bridge at the time of its construction was recognized as the most complex drawbridge, equipped with a hydraulic steam engine to drive giant pumps. But at the same time, its design made it possible to lift multi-ton bridge elements to 86° in just 5 minutes.
Tower Bridge is still raised using hydraulic motors, but since 1976 the pumps have been powered by electricity instead of steam. Old hydraulic steam pumps and boilers replenished the number of exhibits at the exhibition.
A few facts from the history of Tower Bridge
- A pedestrian tunnel under the Thames was used as the basis for the construction of the bridge, which served as a passage for telecommunication cables.
- Unlike most drawbridges, Tower Bridge is opened according to a special schedule drawn up by bridge employees for the passage of large ships. It is not subject to adjustment even for the passage of VIPs.
Two famous events are associated with this feature of the bridge:- In 1952, a red London Double Decker found itself on the bridge as it was being opened. The driver accelerated and was able to jump from one edge to the other of the resulting one-meter gap.
- In 1997, American President Ball Clinton's motorcade was split in two by the opening of the Tower Bridge. Many people wrote about it then.
- In 1968, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Royal Air Force, a fighter jet flew between the bridge towers.
- Also that year, a Missouri businessman purchased the London Bridge, which was about to be demolished, confusing it with the Tower Bridge.
- In 1977, in honor of the Silver Jubilee of the reign of Elizabeth II, it was painted blue, white and red.
- Previously, Tower Bridge was divorced fifty times a day, now this happens many times less.
Exhibition "Tower Bridge Experience"
Visit to the exhibition “Experience Tower Bridge"begins with a short film about the history of the Tower Bridge. Next, visitors are allowed to climb the pedestrian gallery, which offers stunning views of London. 
The exhibition features many artifacts from the history of the bridge, including the Victorian engine room, glass and eastern walkways.
December 10th, 2013
Even those who have never been to England will recognize it immediately. Thousands of tourists visit it every year. Londoners drive through it every day, most likely without even thinking about its history at that moment. This Tower Bridge- one of the symbols of London.
The history of Tower Bridge, which should not be confused with the neighboring London Bridge, is linked to the nearby Tower of London. In 1872 English parliament considered a bill to build a bridge across the Thames. Although the Commandant of the Tower was against this idea, Parliament decided that the city needed another bridge that would harmonize effectively with the architecture of the Tower of London. Tower Bridge, as it is today, owes its appearance to a decision of Parliament.
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In the XVIII and 19th centuries The Thames was crossed by many bridges. The most famous of them is London Bridge. By 1750, it had become very shaky, and traffic jams were constantly forming on the bridge. Ships from all over the world gathered near the bridge, waiting for space to become available in the crowded harbor.
At that time, the Thames was literally filled with various ships, so one could walk several kilometers along the decks of ships moored at their berths.
In February 1876, London authorities announced open competition for the new bridge project. According to the requirements, the bridge must be high enough to allow massive merchant ships to pass under it, as well as ensure continuous movement of people and carts. About 50 interesting projects were submitted to the competition!
Most of the competitors proposed options for high bridges with stationary spans. But they had two common disadvantages: the distance above the surface of the water at high tide was insufficient for the passage of ships with high masts, and the climb to the bridge was too steep for horses pulling carts. One of the architects proposed a design for a bridge in which people and carts were lifted onto high bridge using hydraulic elevators, the other is a bridge with ring parts and sliding decks.
However, the most realistic project was recognized as the lift-and-drop bridge of Sir Horace Jones, the city's chief architect. Despite all the advantages of the project, the decision on its choice was delayed, and then Jones, in collaboration with the famous engineer John Wolfe Barry, developed another innovative bridge, eliminating all the shortcomings of the first in the new project. Barry, in particular, suggested that Jones create overhead walkways, which were not included in the original design.
At the request of the municipality, city architect Horace Jones developed a design for a drawbridge in the Gothic style, which was to be built downstream from the London Bridge. Ships heading to the docks up the Thames could easily pass under such a bridge. The bridge project had one feature that many considered an original solution.
Horace Jones traveled a lot. While he was in the Netherlands, small drawbridges spanning canals inspired him to create a counterweight drawbridge. Jones and his assistants developed a design for such a bridge and decided to use unusual construction methods, combining steel structures with masonry. This is how the world-famous appearance of Tower Bridge came about.
After three weeks of heated discussion, the Jones-Barry project was approved. A huge sum of £585,000 was allocated for the creation of the grandiose structure. The developers of the bridge overnight became very rich people - their fee amounted to £30,000. Construction began in 1886, but in May 1887, even before the foundation was laid, Jones suddenly died, and all responsibility fell on engineer Barry. The latter invited the talented architect George Stevenson as his assistant, thanks to whom the bridge underwent a number of stylistic changes.
Stevenson was a fan of Victorian Gothic architecture and expressed his passions in the design of the bridge. He decided to put the steel trusses of the bridge on display: the new construction material– steel – was in fashion at that time, and it was in the spirit of the times.
Tower Bridge decorated with two towers, which are connected by two pedestrian crossings, raised to a height of 34 meters above the roadway and 42 meters above the water. Roads on both banks of the Thames lead to the lifting wings of the bridge. These huge canvases weigh approximately 1,200 tons each and open up to form an angle of 86 degrees. Thanks to this, ships with a carrying capacity of up to 10,000 tons can freely pass under the bridge.
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The design of the bridge provided for pedestrians the opportunity to cross the bridge even during the opening of the span. For this purpose, in addition to the usual sidewalks located along the edge of the roadway, pedestrian galleries were constructed in the middle part, connecting the towers at a height of 44 meters. You could get to the gallery via stairs located inside the towers. Since 1982, the gallery has been used as a museum and observation deck.
More than 11 thousand tons of steel were needed for the construction of towers and pedestrian galleries alone. To better protect the metal structure from corrosion, the towers were lined with stone; the architectural style of the building is defined as Gothic.
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By the way, these sepia-colored photographs dating back to 1892 captured the construction of Tower Bridge, one of the main attractions of Great Britain.
For the past five years, the photographs have lain in a suitcase under the bed of a Westminster resident who wishes to remain anonymous, who found them in a dumpster during the demolition of one of the buildings. In addition to the photos, he found several ledgers. The man says that he took the books to the Tower Bridge Museum and tried to tell the employees that he also had photographs, but they didn’t even want to listen to him, saying that they already had more than enough photographs. The man admits that he simply didn’t know what to do with the photographs, so he put them in a suitcase and put it under the bed.
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They would have remained there if one day the owner of the unusual find had not decided to tell his neighbor Peter Berthoud, who works as a tour guide in Westminster, about the photographs. Peter remembers that he couldn’t believe his own eyes when he saw unique photos. He spent several days studying albums and documents, trying to find out whether these photographs were known to specialists - and discovered that no one even suspected their existence!
Tower Bridge is the lowest bridge located on the Thames (it is the first one encountered if you climb it from North Sea) and the only one of all bridges that is a drawbridge.
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The photographs show the steel foundation of the bridge, the existence of which many are not even aware of - after all outer part The bridge is lined with stone. The architect of the bridge was Horace Jones, who was succeeded after his death by John Wolfe-Barry. It was he who insisted that the bridge be lined with stone.
Peter Berthoud calls this photo his favorite. “These people didn’t even realize that they were building an architectural monument,” he says.
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The bridge got its name due to its proximity to the Tower: the northern end of the bridge is located near the southeastern corner of the Tower, and parallel to the eastern wall of the Tower there is a road that is a continuation of the Tower Bridge.
By the time Tower Bridge was built movable structures have not been something surprising for a long time. But the remarkable thing about Tower Bridge was that its raising and lowering was entrusted to complex machinery. Moreover, hydraulics have never been used on such a large scale in bridges before. In St. Petersburg, for example, at that time the labor of workers was usually used to build bridges, which was eventually replaced by the work of water turbines powered by the city water supply.
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Tower Bridge was powered by steam engines, which rotated pumps that created high pressure water in hydraulic accumulators. They “powered” hydraulic motors, which began to rotate when the valves were opened. crankshafts. The latter transmitted torque to gears, which in turn rotated gear sectors that ensured the raising and lowering of the bridge wings. Looking at how massive the lifting wings were, you would think that the gears had to bear monstrous loads. But this is not so: the wings were equipped with heavy counterweights that assisted the hydraulic motors.
There were four steam boilers under the southern end of the bridge. They were fired by coal and produced steam with a pressure of 5-6 kg/cm2, generating the necessary energy to operate huge pumps. When turned on, these pumps supplied water under a pressure of 60 kg/cm2.
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Since energy was always needed to raise the bridge, there was a supply of water in six large accumulators under enormous pressure. Water from the accumulators flowed to eight motors, which raised and lowered the drawable parts of the bridge. Various mechanisms began to move, an axis with a diameter of 50 centimeters began to rotate, and the bridge decks rose. The bridge opened in just one minute!
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Construction of Tower Bridge began in 1886 and was completed 8 years later. The grand opening of the new bridge took place on June 30, 1894, by Prince Edward of Wales and his wife Princess Alexandra.
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Peter Berthoud with photographs of Tower Bridge at his home in London.
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Today, engines run on electricity. But, as before, when the Tower Bridge is raised, the flow of traffic stops, and pedestrians and tourists watch in fascination as the huge wings of the bridge rise.
A warning signal sounds, the barriers close, the last car leaves the bridge, and the controllers report that the bridge is clear. The four connecting bolts silently extend, and the wings of the bridge soar upward. Now all attention is turned to the river. Whether it's a tugboat, a pleasure boat or a sailboat, everyone watches with interest as the vessel passes under the bridge.
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A few minutes later another signal sounds. The bridge closes and the barriers rise. Cyclists quickly position themselves in front of the line of waiting cars to be the first to race across the bridge. A few more seconds, and Tower Bridge is again waiting for a signal to let the next ship through.
The most curious are not content with simply observing the work of the bridge. They take the elevator to the north tower, where the Tower Bridge Museum is located, to learn more about the history of its creation and visit an exhibition in which an electronic doll introduces visitors to interesting details.
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In the exhibited paintings you can see how talented engineers worked on the creation of the bridge, and how the opening ceremony took place. And at the stands and vintage photographs The majestic building of Tower Bridge is captured in brownish tones.
From the height of the pedestrian crossing, visitors have stunning views of London. Looking west, you can see St Paul's Cathedral and the City of London bank buildings, with the Telecom Tower towering in the distance.
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Those on the east side expecting to see docks will be disappointed: they have been moved downstream, away from the modern metropolis. Instead, the redeveloped Docklands area appears before the eye, striking with its buildings and structures made in the Art Nouveau style.
Extraordinary, breathtaking, stunning - this is exactly the view that opens from this famous bridge, business card London. If you find yourself in London, why not take a closer look at Tower Bridge? This masterpiece of architecture will forever leave an indelible impression in your memory.
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Interesting Facts
In 1968, Robert McCulloch, a businessman from Missouri (USA), purchased the old London Bridge, which was destined for demolition. The bridge was dismantled and transported to America.
The stone blocks, which were embedded as cladding into the reinforced concrete supporting structure of the bridge, were installed along a canal near Lake Havasu City, Arizona (USA).
Legend has it that McCulloch acquired the “London Bridge” mistaking it for the “Tower Bridge”, one of the main symbols of Foggy Albion. McCulloch and one of the members of the capital's city council, Ivan Lakin, who oversaw the deal, deny this interpretation of events.
Tower Bridge in London is a real work of art by architects, as well as the greatest landmark of London and the UK as a whole, which is definitely worth seeing in person at least once.
Official name: Tower Bridge;
Construction type: Suspension bridge, Drawbridge;
Main span: 61 m;
Total length: 244 m;
Application area: pedestrian, automobile;
Crosses: Thames;
Opening: 1894;
Location: Tower Bridge road, London;
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Each of the wings weighs about two thousand tons and is equipped with a counterweight that minimizes the necessary effort required to raise the bridge in a minute.
Initially, the span was driven by a water hydraulic system with a working pressure of 50 bar. The water was accumulated by two steam plants with a total capacity of 360 hp. The system was created by W. G. Armstrong Mitchell."
In 1974, the water hydraulic system was replaced with an electrically driven oil system. For the convenience of pedestrians, the designed bridge design provided the ability to cross it even during the process of opening the span.
For this purpose, in addition to standard sidewalks located along the edges of the roadway, pedestrian galleries were designed and installed in the middle part, which connect the towers at a height of 44 meters. The galleries could be reached using stairs located inside the towers themselves.
Since 1982, the galleries have been used exclusively as an observation deck and museum. It should be noted that the construction of pedestrian galleries and towers required more than 11 thousand tons of steel.
For better protection metal structures from corrosion, the towers of Tower Bridge in London were lined with stone. The architectural style of the buildings constructed is defined as Gothic.
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total cost the structure built is £1,184,000.
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The famous building is of course also used as a backdrop for epic scenes.
Well, if we move away from the topic of bridges, then take a look The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -
Interestingly, unlike other drawbridges, Tower Bridge is not raised in certain time days, but according to a special schedule 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: 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 - a London drawbridge in the Gothic style with pedestrian galleries that allow people to calmly cross to the other side while the bridge is being drawn. On preparatory work it took the British about two years, and therefore the construction of one of the most 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 the start. construction work, and therefore 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 movable bridge that is 244 m long with two metal structures installed in the river rectangular shape about 65 m high, externally 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 raise the bridge was not given, and therefore the bus driver, Albert Ganton, 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.
Nowadays, although there is a schedule, 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. This schedule is created by the charitable organization “City Bridges Fund”, which is responsible for Tower Bridge and other bridges in London.
Pedestrian galleries
Above the roadway of the attraction, at a height exceeding forty meters, pedestrian galleries were built, which could be climbed by spiral staircases up three hundred steps or by 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 twenty 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.
Tower Bridge- a swing suspension bridge over the Thames in central London. Tower Bridge is perhaps the main attraction of the British capital. The name of this symbol of the city comes from the nearby Tower of London. Tower Bridge is one of several London bridges owned by the City Bridge Trust, a maintenance charity run by the City of London Corporation.
The bridge consists of two towers connected at the upper level by two horizontal passages that counteract the horizontal forces directed from the sections of the bridge suspended on the left and right. The vertical component of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reaction from the two transitions are compensated by two stable towers. The centers of the bridge's movable trusses and control mechanisms are located at the base of the towers. The bridge acquired its current color in 1977, when it was painted white, red and blue for the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations. Before this it was chocolate brown.
Tower Bridge is sometimes mistakenly confused with London Bridge, located further up the Thames. According to a famous urban legend, in 1968 Robert McCulloch purchased the old London Bridge and later shipped it to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, mistaking it for the Tower Bridge. This version was refuted by both McCulloch himself and Ivan Luckin, the seller of the bridge.
UFO video over Thayer Bridge
Tower Bridge today
Tower Bridge is still a busy and vital crossing of the Thames, with over 40,000 people (motors and pedestrians) crossing it every day. The bridge is on London Inland ring road, on eastern border London congestion zone. (Drivers do not pay to cross the bridge).
To preserve the integrity of the historic structure, the City of London Corporation has imposed the following restrictions on traffic crossing the bridge: speed limit to 20 mph (32 km/h) and weight less than 18 tons. The speed of vehicles crossing the bridge is measured using a sophisticated system of security cameras, and a license plate recognition system is used to fine the speeding drivers accordingly.
Using another system (inductive loop detector and piezoelectric sensors), parameters such as weight, chassis height above ground level and the number of vehicle axles are monitored.
River navigation
Mobile trusses are lifted approximately 1,000 times a year. Although river traffic has now greatly decreased, it still dominates road traffic. Currently, 24 hours' notice must be given when a bridge needs to be lifted. In 2008, bridge managers began using Twitter to help communicate the bridge's opening and closing schedule.
In 2000 it was installed computer system For remote control spreading and bringing together the movable trusses of the bridge. Unfortunately, it turned out to be less reliable than expected. During 2005 alone, several times the bridge got stuck in the extended or closed position until its sensors were replaced.
Tower Bridge Exhibit
The high-rise passages between the towers, notorious as haunts of prostitutes and pickpockets, were closed in 1910. In 1982 they were reopened as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, now housed in its twin towers, skywalks and engine rooms. victorian era. The crossings offer stunning views of the Thames and many famous London landmarks and serve observation deck more than 380,000 tourists annually. The exhibition also features films, photographs and interactive materials that explain why and how Tower Bridge was built. In a building at the south end of the bridge, visitors can view the steam engines that once powered the bridge's trusses.
During a pre-booked tour of the interior, visitors can descend into the sections of the bridge's movable trusses, as well as view the control center for the bridge's deployment for the passage of ships.
Renovation 2008-2012
In April 2008, it was announced that a £4 million "light refurbishment" of the bridge would be carried out over 4 years, involving stripping the bridge of its old paint and repainting it blue and white. Each section will be sealed to prevent old paint from entering the Thames. Since mid-2008, work has been carried out at a time only within a quarter of the bridge, which has minimized disruption to traffic, although even in this case, road closures are inevitable. The bridge will be open until the end of 2010, then it will be closed for several months. The results of these renovations are expected to last for 25 years.
