Tower Bridge facts for kids

Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge from the North Bank at dusk
Carries	A100 Tower Bridge Road – motor vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians
Crosses	Thames
Locale	London Boroughs: – north side: Tower Hamlets – south side: Southwark
Maintained by	Bridge House Estates
Heritage status	Grade I listed structure
Characteristics
Design	Bascule bridge, suspension bridge
Total length	244 metres (801 ft)
Longest span	61 metres (200 ft)
Clearance below	8.6 metres (28 ft) (closed) 42.5 metres (139 ft) (open) (Mean High Water Spring Tide)
History
Opened	30 June 1894

Tower Bridge is in London: it crosses the River Thames near the Tower of London. It is a drawbridge, which allows ships through the bridge deck when the deck is raised in the centre at an angle.

The north side of the bridge is Tower Hill, and the south side of the bridge comes down into Bermondsey, an area in Southwark. It is far more visible than London Bridge, which people often mistake it for. Many tourists go to London to see the Tower Bridge. It has its own exhibition centre in the horizontal walkway. This gives one of the best vantage points in London.

The "bascules" are the surfaces raised to allow tall ships to pass through: this happens about 900 times per year. The bridge's decks (bascules) can be raised to 83^o from the horizontal.

History

The City of London Corporation held a competition for the design in 1876. Over 50 designs were entered, and in 1884 Horace Jones and John Wolfe Barry's design was chosen.

Workers began to build the Tower Bridge in April 1886 and the bridge was opened in 30 June 1894.

In June 2012, the bridge was highlighted on the route of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the Thames.

Design

The bridge is 800 ft (244 m) in length with two towers, each 213 ft (65 m) high, built on piers. The central span of 200 ft (61 m) between the towers is split into two equal bascules or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 83^o to allow river traffic to pass. The bascules, weighing over 1,100 tons each, are counterbalanced to minimize the force required and allow raising in five minutes. The bascules are raised by huge hydraulic pumps which were first powered by steam engines. In 1976 these were replaced by oil and electricity. The bridge is made from more than 11,000 tons of steel, and covered with Cornish granite and Portland stone.

The two side-spans are suspension bridges, each 270 feet (82 m) long, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways. The pedestrian walkways are 143 feet (44 m) above the river at high tide. These walkways allow people to still cross the river, even when the bridge is raised. They were closed in 1910 because not enough people used them, but were reopened in 1982.

Gallery

Tower Bridge, London Getting Opened

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  Tower_Bridge,London_Getting_Opened_2

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  Tower_Bridge,London_Getting_Opened_4

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  The Tower Bridge, London completely opened

Tower Bridge Photo

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  Tower Bridge, London Under Construction 1

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  Tower Bridge, London Under Construction 2

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  Tower Bridge, London Old photo

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  The invitation of opening of Tower Bridge, London

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  The Tower Bridge, London in the night 1

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  The Tower Bridge, London in the night 2

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  The Tower Bridge, London in the night 3

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  The Tower Bridge, London

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  Tower Bridge during day

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  Tower Bridge at night

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  Tower Bridge area from the air

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  Tower Bridge seen from the north bank of the Thames

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  South view at dusk

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  Close-up of walkways, illuminated at dusk

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  Close-up of opened bascules

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  The south tower, showing pier at river level

Related pages

• List of crossings of the River Thames

Images for kids

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  Elevation, with dimensions

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  Tower Bridge under construction, 1892

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  A Short Sunderland of No. 201 Squadron RAF moored at Tower Bridge during the 1956 commemoration of the Battle of Britain

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  Tower Bridge with 2012 Olympic rings

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  Tower Bridge showing towers and spans

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  Aerial view of the Tower Bridge

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  One of the original steam engines

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  The tall ship Wylde Swan passing under Tower Bridge decorated for the London Olympics in August 2012. Note the Olympic rings folded up to allow passage of the mast.

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  Interior of high-level walkway (used as an exhibition space)