Tower Bridge on the River Thames in London
Tower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognisable bridges in the World. It is the London bridge you tend to see in movies and on advertising literature for London. Tower Bridge is the only Thames bridge which can be raised. Its middle section can be raised to permit large vessels to pass the Tower Bridge. Massive engines raise the bridge sections, which weigh about 1000 tons each, in just over a minute. It used to be raised about 50 times a day, but nowadays it is only raised 4 to 5 times a week Tower Bridge (built 1886-1894) is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name.[1] It has become an iconic symbol of London. The bridge consists of two towers tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways, designed to withstand the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge on the landward sides of the towers. The vertical component of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower. The bridge's present colour scheme dates from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue jubulee 30 St Mary Axe (formerly the Swiss Re Building, informally referred to as the Gherkin), a skyscraper in London's financial district, the City of London, completed in December 2003 and opened at the end of May 2004.[2] With 40 floors, the tower is 180 metres (591 ft) tall,[1] and stands on the former site of the Baltic Exchange building, which was severely damaged on 10 April 1992 by the explosion of a bomb placed by the Provisional IRA.[2][4] After the plans to build the Millennium Tower were dropped, the current building was designed by Norman Foster and Arup engineers,[5] and was erected by Skanska in 2001–2003.[1]
Size: 6441px × 2955px
Location: Tower Bridge, London, England
Photo credit: © Louisa E Taylor / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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