The Tower Bridge is a tilting bridge which is located on the the Thames at Southwark, close to the Tour of London from which it draws its name. At the time of its construction, Tower Bridge largest and the most were sophisticated tilting bridges ever built. This bridge is famous in the whole world thanks to its very particular Architecture: it is composed of two large towers, of a rigid suspension, an apron opening with the passage the highest ships and of a footbridge at the top. The machineries of the opening bridge and the footbridge are opened with the public for small visits.

Out of England, it is sometimes confused with the London Bridge (Pont of London). An anecdote even tells that an American billionaire fell in love with Tower Bridge and than it ordered of it a copy under the name of London Bridge . Which was not its surprise to see arriving a stone bridge of most current.

History

In second half of the 19th century, the increase in the economic activities in the east of London makes necessary the construction of a new bridge. The London Bridge , at the time Eastern of the bridges on the Thames, is not enough any more to ensure the traffic in full growth. Between 1874 and 1885, not less than thirty petitions of various origins were addressed to the authorities, requiring the construction of a new work of art or the widening of the London Bridge .
En 1882, a study shows that this bridge, then broad from 16,5 Mr. (54 ft), receives each day 22.242 vehicles and 11.525 pedestrians. A tunnel is open close to the tower of London in 1870, but it can accommodate only pedestrians. A fixed bridge cannot be under consideration in this place, because it would block the river traffic towards the harbor installations which are, at the time, between London Bridge and the tower of Londres.
In 1876, the Special Bridge gold Subway Committee is formed to find a solution with this problem and a contest of projects is launched. Fifty projects are submitted to the committee, but following various controversies in connection with their evaluation, it is only into 1884 that of the architect Horace Jones and engineer John Wolfe-Barry is finally selected.

The construction, carried out by 432 workmen of 5 major companies, begins in April 1886 and lasts 8 years. Horace Jones dies in 1887, and it is its chief engineer John Wolfe-Barry who takes again the direction of the project. It replaces the medieval style of the frontages designed by Jones by a neo-gothic victorien more orné.
In 1910, the footbridge is closed with the public. It acquired a bad reputation because of the prostitutes and of the pickpockets who there operate and the pedestrians prefer to wait until the bridge is reopened with circulation rather than utiliser.
In 1976, the old machinery with vapor is replaced by a modern system mû by engines électriques.
In 1982, the higher footbridge is entirely glazed to accommodate a permanent exposure recalling the history of the bridge and its construction.

Design

The Thames is at this place 270 m wide. The adopted project is a combination of suspended bridge and tilting composed of two suspended spans of 82 m and a central span of 61 m, consisted of two tilting beams animated by a hydraulic system, of two neo-gothic turns with metal framework covered with granite of Cornouailles and stone of Portland cement, and a higher footbridge accessible by elevators or staircases. The footbridge makes it possible to the pedestrians to cross while the drawbridge is open for the passage of the bateaux.
Each rocker of the drawbridge weighs approximately 1.200 tons (of which a counterweight of 410 tons). The original machinery was driven by water under pressure, pumped in six accumulators by steam engines. This old machinery always accessible to the public, is located in the old room of the machines.

Illustrations

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