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IN late XIX V. the panorama of London was enriched by a building that was destined to become one of the architectural symbols British capital- along with the ancient Tower Castle, the Palace of Westminster, Big Ben and St. Paul's Cathedral. This is the Tower Bridge - one of the most famous and beautiful bridges in the world.
Built in the spirit of medieval buildings, with Gothic towers and heavy chains of bridge structures, it forms a single ensemble with the ancient Tower Castle.
Tower Bridge embodies all the features of the Victorian era. The need for its construction became acute in the middle of the 19th century, when the population of the east part of London, where the port and numerous warehouses were located, began to grow rapidly. Until 1750, the banks of the Thames were connected by only one London Bridge, founded in Roman times. As the British capital grew, new bridges were built, but they were all located in the western part of the city. Due to increased traffic, residents of east London had to spend many hours trying to get to the opposite bank. Every year the problem became more acute, and finally in 1876 the city authorities decided to build a new bridge in east London.
However, it was necessary to build it in such a way that the bridge structures did not interfere with the movement of ships along the Thames. Many ideas have been put forward on this matter, for consideration of which a ad hoc committee. Ultimately the committee decided to announce open competition on best project bridge.
More than 50 projects took part in the competition (some of them can be seen today in the Tower Bridge Museum). It took a lot of time to study them. Only in October 1884 did the committee decide on its
choice: the winner was city architect Horace Jones, who developed his project in collaboration with engineer John Wolf Barry. It took 8 years, £1,600,000 and the tireless work of 432 workers to bring this project to life.
Construction of Tower Bridge began in 1886. After Jones' death in 1887, J. Barry, having received greater artistic freedom, changed a number of details of the project, which, however, only benefited the bridge. Its construction was completed in 1894.
Tower Bridge was fully consistent with the technical level of that time. It became the largest and most complex drawbridge in the world. Its two massive supports go deep into the river bed; more than 11 thousand tons of steel were used to create the structures of the towers and spans. Externally the steelwork is clad in Cornwall with cue granite and Portland stone. Two imposing neo-Gothic towers on granite bases, decorated with decorative stonework, rise above the Thames to a height of 63 m each. It is believed that it was these towers that gave the name to the bridge (English, the Tower - tower, Towerbridge - Tower Bridge). Another version is that the name of the bridge comes from the nearby ancient London Tower Castle.
Each tower has two elevators - one for ascent, the other for descent, but in order to get to the top, you can also use the 300-step staircase located in each of the towers.
The length of the bridge is 850 m, height - 40, and width 60 m. The bridge parts adjacent to the banks are stationary. Their width at the confluence with the shore reaches 80 m. The central span, 65 m long, has two floors. The lower tier is located at a height of 9 m from the water, and during the passage of large ships it is raised. Previously, it was raised up to 50 times a day, but currently the bridge is raised only 4-5 times a week. The upper tier is located at a height of 35 m from the lower one, and pedestrians use it when traffic on the lower tier is interrupted. Pedestrians go upstairs either along spiral staircases inside the towers (each staircase has 90 steps), or by elevator, which takes 30 people at a time. This method is associated with some inconveniences, so Londoners very quickly abandoned it. In 1910 the span upper tier even had to be closed: instead of using it during the passage of ships, the public preferred to wait for the ship to pass and lower tier the bridge will lower.
The bridge is controlled like a ship: it has its own captain and a team of sailors who sound the “bells” and stand watch, like on a warship. Initially, hydraulic lifts were powered by a steam engine. She controlled the huge pumping motors that raised and lowered the bridge's swing doors. Despite the complexity of the system, it took just over a minute for the bridge doors to take their place. maximum angle lift - 86 degrees.
The Victorian-era steam bridge-lifting mechanism served well until 1976. Currently, the bridge doors are raised and lowered using electricity, and the bridge itself has become a kind of working museum. Vintage pump motors, batteries and steam boilers became part of his exhibition. Museum visitors can also get acquainted with modern mechanisms, operating the bridge.
In the history of Tower Bridge, there are several tragicomic cases when people, in order to avoid an accident, had to resort to the most incredible stunts. In 1912, pilot Frank McClean, dodging a collision, was forced to fly his biplane between two tiers of bridge spans. And in 1952, the driver of a bus that found itself on the bridge at the moment when the wings began to diverge, hit the gas to avoid falling into the river, and the bus with passengers made a dizzying jump from one diverging wing of the bridge to another...
The original metalwork of Tower Bridge was painted chocolate brown. But in 1977, when Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee was celebrated, the bridge was painted in the colors of the national flag - red, white and blue.
In 1982, the towers and the reconstructed upper tier of the bridge reopened to the public - this time as a museum. From here you can enjoy an impressive panorama of the British capital. To allow museum visitors to photograph views of London, special windows are installed in the glazing of the upper tier of the bridge. And the mechanisms located inside the towers represent a real exhibition of technology from the Victorian era.
Some people think that Tower Bridge is a bit overwhelming due to its massiveness. But it has already firmly integrated into the London landscape and, together with the Tower, has become one of the most popular attractions of the city.
In London - one of the most recognizable in the world. The roots of its Victorian Gothic style lie in the law, which forced the developers to create a structure that would harmonize with the nearby Tower.
Description
Tower Bridge is both a drawbridge and a suspension bridge. It crosses the River Thames, is located near which it is named after, and has become a symbol of the city.
The bridge consists of two towers connected by two horizontal walkways designed to balance the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended parts on the ground sides. The vertical part of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two transitions are borne by two massive towers. Lifting axles and working equipment are located at the bases of the towers. The bridge's current color scheme dates back to 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. It was originally blue-green.
The nearest London Underground station is Tower Hill on the Circle and District lines, and the nearest light rail station is Tower Gateway.
Contrary to popular belief, the song "London Bridge Is Falling Down" has nothing to do with Tower Bridge in London.
History of the building
Plans were drawn up around 1876, when east London became densely populated. The Thames Bridge in this area seemed very important. The main problem was that ships with tall masts had to be allowed through to the port facilities between the bridge and the Tower. It took another eight years and many design discussions before construction began.
Thus, to solve the problem of crossing the river in 1877, a Special Committee of Bridges and Tunnels was formed under the leadership of Sir Albert Joseph Altman, and a public competition of projects was announced. More than 50 applications were submitted, including by civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette. The evaluation of the projects was surrounded by controversy, and it was not until 1884 that the design submitted by city architect Horace Jones in collaboration with John Woolf Barry was approved.
The bridge was completed in 1894. Five contractors - Sir John Jackson (foundation), Baron Armstrong (hydraulics), William Webster, Sir H.H. Barlet and Sir William Arroll, as well as almost 450 workers, were involved in the construction of the bridge. The construction of the arches required 11,000 tons of steel. At the time, many people didn't like its Victorian Gothic design, but over time the bridge has become one of London's most famous symbols. It was officially opened on June 30, 1894 by the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII) and his wife, Princess of Wales (Alexandra of Denmark).
The bridge connected the Iron Gate on the north bank of the river with Horsleydown Lane on the south, now known as Tower Bridge Approach and Tower Bridge Road respectively. Before the opening of the Tower Bridge, the subway - 400 meters to the west - was the shortest way to cross the river from Tower Hill to Tooley Street in Southpark. Opened in 1870, the Tower Subway was one of the world's earliest subway lines.
When Tower Bridge opened in London, most pedestrian traffic switched to it due to the lack of usage fees. The tunnel was closed in 1898 due to low profitability.
Tower Bridge in London is one of five bridges in the capital now owned and maintained by Bridge House Estates, a not-for-profit partnership overseen by the City of London Corporation. It is the only bridge in the partnership that does not link the City of London to Southpark; its northern exit leads to Tower Hamlets.
Mechanics
The proximity of the bay and its location towards the sea required the bridge to be able to accommodate large ships. Hence the decision to create a swing structure that can be opened to allow the movement of boats. The mechanism is hidden in two towers. Until 1976, when it was electrified, steam power was used to pump water into hydraulic accumulators that powered the engines.
The entire bridge is 800 feet (244 m) long and the towers, built on stilts, are 213 feet (65 m) high. The central span, 200 feet (61 m) long, is divided into two equal slabs. Each of them, more than 30 meters wide and weighing 1,000 tons, can open at an angle of 83 degrees. IN open position the bridge has a rise of almost 45 m. Today it rises to the height necessary for the passage of a particular vessel; the exception is the passage of a ship carrying the monarch. In this case, parts of the structure are raised completely. The bridge used to open almost fifty times a day, but today it opens only 1,000 times a year. Openings are scheduled in advance (for cruise ships, etc.), so guests can go to the bridge's website to see when it will be raised and lowered. There is no lift fee.
Reaction
Although the bridge is undoubtedly a landmark, professional critics in the early 20th century were skeptical about its appearance. “It represents the vice of bad taste and pretentiousness, falsification of the real facts of the structure,” wrote H.H. Statham, and Frank Brangwyn argued that “a more absurd structure than Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river.”
Visit to the bridge
Numerous tourists constantly take pictures in front of this grandiose structure. You can also go inside the bridge, from where you will see great view of London from the transition between two towers. At one time, they earned an unpleasant reputation as a haven for prostitutes and pickpockets. Accessible only by stairs, they were rarely used by ordinary pedestrians and were closed in 1910. It was re-opened in 1982 as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, a display housed in the bridge's towers, walkways and Victorian turbine rooms. Also here you can see the Tower Bridge from the inside, photos, films telling about the history of the amazing structure. Special Interest are caused by real steam engines. There is an entrance fee to the exhibition.
2008-2012
In April 2008, it was announced that the Tower Bridge would undergo a £4 million facelift. The job consisted of stripping the old paint down to bare metal and repainting it blue and white colors. Each section was surrounded by scaffolding and protective plastic to prevent old paint from falling into the Thames and polluting the river. Starting in mid-2008, contractors worked on a maximum of a quarter of the bridge at a time to avoid problems, but sometimes road closures were inevitable.
The painting process was completed in 2009. Work was also carried out to replace the bridge lighting system. Installed inside transitions multi-purpose system lighting designed by Eleni Shiarlis, as they are used for exhibitions and other purposes. All elements are installed in a modern way without the help of drilling. With the help of illumination, the bridge acquired a stunning appearance at night.
The renewal of the four suspension chains was completed in March 2010 using the latest paint system requiring up to six different coats.
In the article you can see the modified Tower Bridge, photos of which show the structure in all its splendor.
There is a legend that the bridge was almost bought in 1968 American businessman Robert McCulloch for transfer to This fact they, however, deny it.
In May 1997, the president's motorcade was separated as a result of the opening of the bridge.
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, the 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.
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 an open competition for the design of a new bridge. 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 bridge design in which people and carts were lifted onto a high bridge using hydraulic elevators, another - 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 London. 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. When 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 Gothic architecture Victorian era and expressed his passions in the bridge project. He decided to put the steel trusses of the bridge on display: a new structural material - steel - was in fashion at that time, and it was in the spirit of the times.
Tower Bridgedecorated 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.
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.
By the way, these sepia 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 trash container 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.
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 recalls that he couldn’t believe his own eyes when he saw the unique photographs. 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 along the Thames (it is the first one you encounter if you climb it from North Sea) and the only one of all bridges that is a drawbridge.
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.
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 the Tower Bridge was built, movable structures were no longer something surprising. But the remarkable thing about the 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.
Tower Bridge was powered by steam engines, which rotated pumps that created high water pressure in the system in hydraulic accumulators. They “powered” hydraulic motors, which, when the valves were opened, began to rotate the 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.
Under south end The bridge contained four steam boilers. 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.
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!
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.
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.
The warning signal sounds, the barriers close, last car drives off the bridge, and the controllers report that the bridge is clear. The four connecting bolts silently move out, 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.
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.
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 on the stands and ancient photographs in brownish tones the majestic building of the Tower Bridge is depicted.
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.
Those on the east side expecting to see docks will be disappointed: they have been moved downstream, away from 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.
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 of 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.
We are all still with school days We know that the most famous bridge in London is Tower Bridge. Unusual appearance makes it easily recognizable: on imposing river piers stand two Gothic-style towers, which are connected by drawbridges and pedestrian galleries.
Its main difference from other bridges is that it is a drawbridge and the lowest located above the Thames. It got its name due to its proximity to the Tower, which is located on the north side.
Brief history
For a long time, the Thames was crossed by one bridge, the London Bridge. However, the sharp economic recovery and population growth that began in the 19th century showed the need for the construction of additional bridges, which were supposed to help solve the capital’s transport problem.
Over the course of several years, more than one bridge was built, but problems with traffic flow did not decrease. Soon a committee was created that studied dozens of projects, and only in 1884 the project of John Wolf Bury and Horace Johnsan was approved.
More than 400 workers worked on the construction of the bridge for 8 years. The opening took place on June 30, 1894, and was attended by Prince Edward of Wales and his wife Princess Alexandra.
The bridge was made in the Gothic style, but using a number of innovative developments. Thanks to the presence of a hydraulic system, just a couple of minutes are enough to ensure free passage for a sailing vessel. Until 1974, the bridge was raised by the operation of steam engines, in the furnaces of which coal was burned, which drove the pumps. They pumped water into reservoirs, storing energy. But progress did not stand still, and the entire mechanism was replaced with an electro-hydraulic system, which significantly saved time and costs. Now the bridge was raised not according to schedule, but out of necessity.
Over the years, Tower Bridge along with Big Ben have become real symbols and one of the main attractions of London.
Today, Tower Bridge is one of the most visited attractions in England. Many tourists coming here consider it an honor to take a walk through the legendary building, especially since many London hotels offer very educational and comprehensive excursions around the city.
Information for visitors
Address: Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 2UP, United Kingdom
You can take a walk along Tower Bridge:
- during the summer season (from April 1 to September 30) - from 10:00 to 18:30 (last entry at 17:30);
- V winter season(from October 1 to March 31) - from 09:30 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:00).
Ticket prices:
How to get there
The nearest tube station is Tower Hill (Circle and District lines). You can also get there from Tower Pier.
Tower Bridge on the map of London
We all know from school that the most famous bridge in London is Tower Bridge. Its unusual appearance makes it easily recognizable: two Gothic-style towers stand on imposing river piers, connected by drawbridges and pedestrian galleries.
Its main difference from other bridges is that it is a drawbridge and the lowest located above Te..." />
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.
Practical information: |
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 for pedestrian traffic separate 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 bridge's metalwork was painted red, blue and white to celebrate Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. The original color of metal structures is chocolate brown.
IN beginning of XXI century, the reconstruction of Tower Bridge was carried out, including cleaning of old paint, repainting and installation of a new lighting system on the 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, a 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 oldest district London.
- 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 leadership 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 The bridge's original hydraulic systems 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 Weight Limit- 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, 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 using stairs, ordinary citizens They 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. The re-opening took place only in 1982 as the Tower Bridge exhibition, which also included interior spaces towers and the Victorian turbine hall where the power plants, raising the bridge. The galleries are also used as observation decks, from which a beautiful view of the central part 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 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 across the Thames - London - are often confused. In 1968, London Bridge was sold and, according to widespread legend, its buyer, American entrepreneur Robert McCulloch believed that what he was actually buying was Tower Bridge, one of the symbols of the capital. 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. So, 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).
- 5 April 1968 Lieutenant Royal air force Alan Pollock flew his Hawker Hunter fighter jet under the bridge's pedestrian 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.