East Londoners have to commute longer compared to West Londoners just to get above the bridge. However, East London has always been more sparsely populated compared to West London. Therefore, it has never been necessary or a top priority to construct another bridge in the east.
By 1870s, around a million people were living east of London Bridge, so getting across it could take hours. Tower Bridge came out of this need for a new river crossing, and was completed in 1894. Its Neo-Gothic design was chosen to blend with the Tower of London, a request by Queen Victoria.
' In this video Jay looks at the reasons there are no bridges in East London.... 1) Geography - the river is much narrower in the west, whereas in the east it becomes a huge tidal estuary with mudflats - so simply it is much harder to build a bridge there.
Tower Bridge, on the other hand, has never fallen down. It stands today as it was built in 1894. It is known as London's defining landmark - representing London as an iconic structure that is recognised the world-over.
Then, when the Bridge was required to open, the water was released into the drive engines, powering yet more pistons to turn a set of cogs. These cogs connect to a rack on the back of the bascules, opening them for passing river vessels.
The story of its removal is pretty cool, so I'll add a link to it here in case you like history. There are pedestrian footpaths on either side of the bridge, so even at night it is fine to walk over it to North London and Tower Hill.
The Walkways provided a platform for pedestrians to cross the Bridge during Bridge Lifts when the bascules were raised. They also house the suspension cable that supports the full length of Tower Bridge. An exceptional piece of engineering, the cantilevered steel beams extend across the gap between the two towers.
As if that wasn't enough, parts of the bridge collapsed on several occasions, including 1281, 1309, 1425 and 1437. The 1281 collapse happened when expanding ice from the frozen Thames literally crushed five of the arches.
What happened to the boy who fell off Tower Bridge?
A spokesperson for City of London police said: “The family of Zaheid Ali has now formally identified the body recovered from the Thames on 28 April as that of Zaheid, who was seen falling into the river on 20 April. “Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
The Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge is officially the longest bridge in the world. It stretches out for no less than 102.4 miles (164.8 kilometres) and forms part of one of China's most important railway connections: the high-speed train between Beijing and Shanghai.
On 28th March 2022, Transport for London (TfL) introduced a scheme to restrict traffic (except buses, taxis, motorcycles and pedal cycles) from using Borough High Street and London Bridge as a through route between 7am – 7pm Monday to Friday.
A mistake made the world over, confusing London Bridge and Tower Bridge is easily done. One of these bridges has a name famous across the globe, and the other is a stunning symbol of London – but which one is which?! As local walking tour guides, we know how prevalent this misunderstanding is.
London Bridge might be famous in nursery rhymes, but it's much less impressive than Tower Bridge. Built in 1973, it's a functional bridge for cars and pedestrians. It's only about a 10-minute walk from Tower Bridge, but they're worlds apart in terms of looks and cool stuff to do.
Big Ben is a tower clock known for its accuracy and for its massive hour bell. Strictly speaking, the name refers only to the bell, which weighs 15.1 tons (13.7 metric tons), but it is commonly associated with the whole clock tower at the northern end of the Houses of Parliament, in the London borough of Westminster.
Dating back to 1160AD, Lincoln's High Bridge is the oldest bridge in the United Kingdom to still have buildings on it. The stone High Bridge was built around 1160, possibly replacing a wooden bridge.
Other notable inmates included Princess Elizabeth (later Elizabeth I), who was briefly imprisoned by Mary I for suspicion of conspiracy; the soldier and conspirator Guy Fawkes; the adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh; and Sir Roger Casement, who was arrested for treason during World War I.
The most recent death along the same bridge was that of Zaheid Ali, a 13-year-old boy who jumped into the Thames and died in 2021. A recent inquest found that the boy had been viewing and posting content about suicide while at home during a pandemic lockdown.
All in all, it lifts around 800 times a year. It is completely free to open Tower Bridge. The lifts are funded by the Bridge House Estates. The first ship passed through the Tower Bridge the year it was opened, 1894.
The bridge was shipped by boat 10,000 miles to Long Beach, California. It was then trucked to Lake Havasu City. Reconstructing the Bridge in Lake Havasu City was done in the same manner as the Egyptians built pyramids.
The modern bridge is owned and maintained by Bridge House Estates, an independent charity of medieval origin overseen by the City of London Corporation. It carries the A3 road, which is maintained by the Greater London Authority.
On average, Tower Bridge opens its bascules around 800 times a year. That's around twice a day. You would be forgiven for thinking that's a lot of Bridge Lifts. However, in 1894, Tower Bridge's first year of operation, the bascules were lifted 6,194 times.
Pollock continued and dipped his wings over the Royal Air Force Memorial on the Embankment, and finally flew under the top span of Tower Bridge. He later wrote of the decision to fly through Tower Bridge: Until this very instant I'd had absolutely no idea that, of course, Tower Bridge would be there.
It's a solid floor and not as you imply glass under your feet you can see through. The glass comes down to floor level, and it's in essence like being in a tall building where the windows are floor to ceiling.
Experience the spectacular Glass Floors in the high-level Walkways when you visit Tower Bridge. This permanent feature offers visitors an incredible birds-eye view of London life, from.
