THE ICONIC LONDON TOWER BRIDGE

There are 33 bridges across River Thames, yet London Tower Bridge happens to be the most iconic and one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. Standing majestically since 1894, this iconic bridge consists of two towers and two walkways. Its grand Victorian staircase, unique glass floor and beautiful panoramic views on the walkway make it to the top of any Londoner. The bridge is older than a century and is famous for its beauty in movies such as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Sherlock Holmes and episodes of Friends.

It was built during the late nineteenth century due to demand for a new river crossing in east London. The builders had to keep in mind not to cut off access to the sailing ships to the port facilities between the London Bridge and the Tower of London. Over 50 designs were submitted but it wasn’t until 1884 that a design submitted by Sir Horace Jones, the city architect, was approved. It took 8 years to build the Tower Bridge with over 11,000 tons of steel providing the framework for the towers and walkways. The bridge is 800 feet (244 m) in length with two towers each 213 feet (65 m) high built on piers. The construction of the bridge began in 1886 inaugurated by Edward Ⅶ and was open to the public on 30 June 1894. It is about 240 metres (800 feet) in length and provides an opening 76 metres (250 feet) wide. Its twin towers rise 61 metres (200 feet) above the Thames.

The bridge has six massive accumulators are used in the operation of the bridge that use steam to generate power which is fed to the accumulators. The bridge also uses navigation system for the signaling of ships and to control the traffic.

Between the towers stretch a pair of glass-covered walkways that are popular among tourists. The walkways were originally designed to allow pedestrians to cross even while the bridge was raised, but became hangouts for prostitutes and thieves and so were closed from 1909 to 1982. The Tower Bridge, today, is visited by more than 40,000 visitors every day, making it one of the top attractions of London.

The Tower Bridge is also famous for its Glass Floor which offers an incredible view of the city below, and the River Thames. The walkway also presents panoramic views of famous London landmarks, like St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Monument, and St. Katharine’s Docks.

The part of the Thames where Tower Bridge sits is called the Pool of London, which in the Victorian era was the busiest port in the world. Cargo ships were coming in from all over the world carrying goods such as cotton, sugar, and tea which the city needed to sustain itself. These were offloaded into warehouses which lined the river banks between London Bridge and Lime House, in East London. When a new bridge was proposed next to the Tower of London, all those involved in this industry were concerned with how the cargo ships would reach the warehouses on the other side of the new bridge.

On average, Tower Bridge opens around 800 times a year, that's around twice a day. The opening of the Tower Bridge is completely free. This means that vessels are not charged. The lifts are funded by the Bridge House Estates, a 700-year-old organization that funds the upkeep of five of bridges in Central London. These are Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Southwark Bridge, Black Friars Bridge and Millennium Bridge.

A visit to Tower Bridge is the most exciting way to enjoy the majestic view of the city through its high-level walkways between the two bridge towers, learn about the working of the bridge and the history behind its creation via photos, films, and other media.