Tower Bridge is a road bridge over the river Themse in London. It connects the town center OF London on the north side with the quarter Southwark in the urban district London Borough OF Southwark on the south side. Here established balance bridge concerns and the easternmost convenient around one in the again-gothical style; across it the main street A 100 leads.

On the north bank are the Tower of London (after that the bridge is designated) and the St Katharine dock, on the south bank the town center resound. The bridge is in the possession of Bridge House Estates, a welfare organization of the corporation OF London, which is responsible for the maintenance also. Occasionally the Tower Bridge is falsely called London Bridge, these however is the next bridge upstream.

Building

The Tower Bridge is 244 meters long, the height of the two bridge towers amounts to 65 meters. The roadway between 61 meters from each other the distant towers lies nine meters over the river, the footbridge of 43 meters. The two can be lifted up up to an angle of 83 degrees, in order to make for larger ships possible the passage.

Originally the bridge was raised hydraulically. Steam engines pumped water to storage vessels which are at pressure, the so-called accumulators. Thus enough energy was available, in order to lift the roadways up already at that time within fewer minutes. Meanwhile the drive is electrical. The connection for pedestrians over the upper bars is immovable, so that the river traversing is possible with lifted up bridge to foot also; the stairs to the upper level are likewise in the towers.

This part of the Themse is nowadays routistic used essentially only. The bridge is lifted up ever more rarely therefore (about 500 times annually). Ship traffic nevertheless possesses still priority before the traffic. The numerous trip ships, which operate on the Themse, are small enough, in order to drive also with lowered roadway under the bridge through.

In the upper connections for pedestrians a museum is furnished over the building of the bridge with numerous photos, videos and models. The entrance is made by river upward the convenient part of the north tower. The admission fee contains likewise the inspection of the former turbine house on the southern side.

History

In the second half 19. Century made constantly increasing traffic in the docklands in the East end the building of a river crossing east London Bridge necessarily. A traditional firm bridge was not applicable, because otherwise the entrance to at that time still existing harbor facilities between London Bridge and the Tower would have been cut off of London. 1870 were established the Tower Subway. This served however (after a short operating phase as underground) only as pedestrian tunnel.

1876 took place the establishment of a committee, in order to look for a solution of the traffic problems. It organized a public competition. Over 50 projects were submitted, among them one of Joseph Bazalgette. The examination of the suggestions pulled itself over years and only 1884 the suggestion by Horace Jones, the architect-general of the town center OF London, was approved.

The construction work began 1886; five building contractors and 432 workers were busy with the building of the bridge. In order to support the enormous construction, two enormous columns with a weight had to be sunk by 70.000 tons in the Flussbett. For the towers and the footbridges were necessary over 11.000 tons steel. The towers were disguised with limestone by the Isle OF haven country; on the one hand in order to protect the steel which is under it to lend on the other hand in order to the bridge a more obliging/more pleasing appearance.

Horace Jones died 1887 and the responsibility turned into at its upper engineer John wolf Barry. The official opening took place 1894 by the prince at that time of Wales (the later king Eduard VII.) and its wife Alexandra of Denmark.

The footbridges had already soon the call to be point of attraction for prostitutes and pickpockets and 1910 were closed. The pedestrians preferred it mostly anyway to wait on the bank and to observe a pulling up of the as well as a driving past of the ships. 1982 the footbridges were released again for the public, them serve today as museum and lookout point.

Related links

• Official Website of the Tower Bridge

Articles in category "Tower Bridge"

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