Tower Bridge in London. Tower Bridge in London - photo

The Tower Bridge in London is one of the most recognizable in the world. The roots of his Victorian Gothic style lie in the law, which forced the developers to create a structure that harmonizes with the nearby Tower.

Description

The Tower Bridge in London is both a drawbar and a pendant. It crosses the River Thames, is located not far from the Tower of London, after which it is named, and became a symbol of the city.

The bridge consists of two towers connected by two horizontal transitions designed to counterbalance the horizontal forces acting on the side of the hanging parts from the ground sides. The vertical part of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical responses of the two transitions lie on two massive towers. Lifting axes and working equipment are located in the bases of the towers. The current color scheme of the bridge dates back to 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue to celebrate the silver anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Initially it was green-blue.

The nearest metro station is Tower Hill on Circle and District lines, and the light metro is Tower Gateway.

Contrary to popular belief, the song "London Bridge Is Falling Down" has nothing to do with the Tower Bridge in London.

History of construction

Plans were developed around 1876, when the eastern part of London became densely populated. The bridge over the River Thames in this area seemed very important. The main problem was that it was necessary to skip ships with tall masts to the port facilities between the bridge and the Tower. It took another eight years and a lot of discussions about the design before the construction began.

So, to solve the problem of crossing the river in 1877, a special committee of bridges and tunnels was formed under the leadership of Sir Albert Joseph Altman, a public competition of projects was announced. More than 50 applications were submitted, including by civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette. The evaluation of the projects was surrounded by contradictions, and only in 1884 they approved the project presented by the urban architect Horace Jones in collaboration with John Wolfe Barry.

The bridge was completed in 1894. Five contractors - Sir John Jackson (foundation), Baron Armstrong (hydraulics), William Webster, Sir HH. Barlet and Sir William Erol, as well as nearly 450 workers were involved in the erection of the bridge. It took 11,000 tons of steel to build arches. At that time, many people did not like his Victorian Gothic design, but over time the bridge became one of the most famous symbols of London. He was officially opened on June 30, 1894, by the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII) and his wife, the Princess of Wales (Alexandra of Denmark).

The bridge connected the Iron Gate on the north bank of the river with Horslidown Lane on the south, now known as the Tower Bridge and Tower Bridge Road respectively. Prior to the opening of the Tower of the Subway Bridge - 400 meters to the west - was the shortest way to cross the river from Tower Hill to Tuli Street in South Park. Opened in 1870, Tower Subway was one of the world's first metro lines.

When the Tower Bridge was opened in London, most of the pedestrian traffic was transferred to it due to lack of payment for use. The tunnel was closed in 1898 due to low profitability.

The Tower Bridge in London is one of the five metropolitan bridges now owned and maintained by Bridge House Estates, a non-profit partnership under the supervision of the City of London Corporation. This is the only bridge of partnership that does not connect the City of London with the South Park shore; Its northern exit leads to Tower Hamlets.

Mechanics

The proximity of the bay and the location in the direction of the sea demanded from the bridge the ability to skip large ships. Hence the decision to create a drawbar structure that can be opened to permit the movement of boats. The mechanism is hidden in two towers. Until 1976, when it was electrified, steam energy was used to pump water into the hydraulic accumulators that fed the engines.

The length of the entire bridge is 800 feet (244 m), and the height of towers built on stilts is 213 feet (65 m). The central span of 200 feet (61 m) is divided into two equal slabs. Each of them, with a width of more than 30 m and weighing 1,000 tons, can be opened at an angle of 83 degrees. In the open position, the bridge has a lift of almost 45 m. Today it rises to the height necessary for passage of a particular vessel; The exception is the passage of the ship on which the monarch is on board. In this case, the parts of the structure rise completely. Previously, the bridge opened almost fifty times a day, and today - only 1000 times a year. Dredging is planned in advance (for cruise ships, etc.), so guests can go to the bridge site and see when it will be raised and lowered. The fee for the lift is not charged.

Reaction

Although the bridge is undoubtedly a tourist attraction, professional critics at the beginning of the 20th century were skeptical about its appearance. "He represents the vice of bad taste and pretentiousness, the falsification of the real facts of the structure," wrote H.H. Stat, and Frank Brangvin argued that "a more absurd structure than the Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river."

Visit to the bridge

Numerous tourists are constantly photographed against the background of this grandiose structure. You can also go inside the bridge, from where you will see a magnificent view of London from the transition between the two towers. At one time they earned an unpleasant reputation as a shelter for prostitutes and pickpockets. Being accessible only from the stairs, they were rarely used by ordinary pedestrians and were closed in 1910. The reopening took place in 1982 during the Tower Bridge exhibition - an exhibition located in the towers of the bridge, transitions and Victorian machine halls. Also here you can see from inside the Tower Bridge, photos, films, telling about the history of the amazing structure. Of particular interest are real steam engines. For entrance to the exhibition a fee is charged.

Cosmetic repairs of 2008-2012.

In April 2008, it was announced that the Tower Bridge would undergo a "face lift" worth 4 million pounds. The work consisted of sweeping from old paint to bare metal and repainting in blue and white colors. Each section was surrounded by forests and protective plastic to prevent the old paint from falling into the Thames and contaminating the river. Starting in mid-2008, the contractors worked at a maximum of a quarter of the bridge at the same time to avoid problems, but sometimes the closure of the road was inevitable.

The process of painting was completed in 2009. Also, work was carried out to replace the bridge lighting system. Inside the transitions, a multi-purpose lighting system developed by Eleni Shiarlis is installed, as they are used for exhibitions and for other purposes. All elements are installed in a modern way without the help of drilling. With the help of lighting, the bridge acquired a stunning view at night.

The renewal of the four suspension chains was completed in March 2010 using the latest paint system, requiring up to six different layers.

In the article you can see the altered Tower Bridge, a photo of which shows the construction in all its splendor.

Interesting fact

There is a legend that the bridge was almost bought in 1968 by an American businessman Robert McCulloch for transfer to Missouri. This fact, however, is denied to them.

In May 1997, President Bill Clinton's motorcade was divided as a result of the opening of the bridge.