London’s famous Tower Bridge was closed to traffic for several hours yesterday after its two middle sections, which lift to allow tall ships to pass along the Thames River, became stuck open.
The bridge “experienced technical issues this afternoon and was locked in a raised position”, stated the Corporation of London, which owns the bridge.
It tweeted that the bridge reopened to pedestrians, but not traffic, by evening.
“Tower Bridge is currently closed to traffic but open to pedestrians,” the City of London Police tweeted.
“Mechanics are working to fix the bridge. Please find alternative routes,” the police have said.
The landmark bridge, one of London’s major tourist attractions, was built between 1886 and 1894.
It was “the largest and most sophisticated bascule bridge ever completed”, the corporation said.
The bascules, from the French for seesaw, were operated by steam-powered hydraulic systems that have been driven by oil and electricity since 1976, it said.
