View source for Tower Bridge

{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Short description|Bridge over the Thames in London, England}}
{{Distinguish|London Bridge}}
{{Other uses|Tower Bridge (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox bridge
| fetchwikidata = ALL
| onlysourced = yes
| bridge_name = Tower Bridge
| image = Tower Bridge at Dawn.jpg
| caption = View from [[Shad Thames]]
| alt = View of Tower Bridge from Shad Thames
| image_size = 300px
| coordinates = {{Wikidatacoord|Q83125|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| carries = [[London Inner Ring Road]]
| crosses = [[River Thames]]
| locale = London boroughs:<br />– north side: [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets|Tower Hamlets]]<br />– south side: [[London Borough of Southwark|Southwark]]
| named_for = [[Tower of London]]
| maint = [[City Bridge Foundation]], <br>[[City of London Corporation]]
| heritage = [[Grade I listed]] building
| website = {{URL|towerbridge.org.uk}}
| preceded = [[London Bridge]]
| followed = [[Dartford Crossing#Queen Elizabeth II BridgeQueen|Elizabeth II Bridge]]
| design = {{hlist|[[Bascule bridge]]|[[Suspension bridge]]}}
| length = {{cvt|940|feet}}
| height = {{cvt|213|feet}}
| architect = [[Horace Jones (architect)|Horace Jones]]
| begin = 22 April 1886
| complete = 1894
| opened = 30 June 1894
}}

'''Tower Bridge''' is a [[Listed building#Grade I|Grade I listed]] combined [[Bascule bridge|bascule]], [[Suspension bridge|suspension]], and, until 1960, [[Cantilever bridge|cantilever]] bridge<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=What type of bridge is Tower Bridge? |url=https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/discover/what-type-of-bridge-is-tower-bridge#:~:text=A%20cantilever%20bridge%20is%20a,than%20just%20the%20two%20cantilevers. |access-date=14 May 2024 |website=towerbridge.org.uk }}</ref> in [[London]], built between 1886 and 1894, designed by [[Horace Jones (architect)|Horace Jones]] and engineered by [[John Wolfe Barry]] with the help of [[Henry Marc Brunel]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Portman |first=Derek |title=Henry Marc Brunel: Civil Engineer |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41613878 |journal=Construction History |volume=20 |pages=71–83 |jstor=41613878 |year=2004 |access-date=20 March 2022 |archive-date=20 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320184801/https://www.jstor.org/stable/41613878 |url-status=live }}</ref> It crosses the [[River Thames]] close to the [[Tower of London]] and is one of five London bridges owned and maintained by the [[City Bridge Foundation]], a charitable trust founded in 1282.

The bridge was constructed to connect the 39 per cent of London's population that lived east of London Bridge, equivalent to the populations of "Manchester on the one side, and Liverpool on the other",<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Wolfe Barry |first=John |date=1897 |title=Discussion on the Tower Bridge |journal=Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers |volume=127 |issue=1897 |pages=60–79 }}</ref> while allowing shipping to access the [[Pool of London]] between the [[Tower of London]] and [[London Bridge]]. The bridge was opened by [[Edward VII|Edward, Prince of Wales]], and [[Alexandra of Denmark|Alexandra, Princess of Wales]], on 30 June 1894.

The bridge is {{convert|940|feet}} in length including the abutments<ref name=":0" /> and consists of two {{convert|213|feet|adj=on}} [[bridge tower]]s connected at the upper level by two horizontal walkways, and a central pair of [[Bascule bridge|bascules]] that can open to allow shipping. Originally [[Hydraulic power network|hydraulically powered]], the operating mechanism was converted to an electro-hydraulic system in 1972. The bridge is part of the [[London Inner Ring Road]] and thus the boundary of the [[London congestion charge]] zone, and remains an important traffic route with 40,000 crossings every day. The bridge deck is freely accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians, whereas the bridge's twin towers, high-level walkways, and [[Victorian era|Victorian]] engine rooms form part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition.

Tower Bridge has become a recognisable London landmark. It is sometimes confused with [[London Bridge]], about {{convert|0.5|mi|m}} upstream, which has led to a persistent [[urban legend]] about an American purchasing the [[London Bridge (Lake Havasu City)|wrong bridge]].

== History ==

=== Inception ===
[[File:Tower bridge schm020.png|thumb|right|Elevation, with dimensions]]
By the late 19th century, the population and commercial development in the [[East End of London]] was increasing, leading to demand for a new river crossing downstream of [[London Bridge]]. A traditional fixed bridge at street level could not be built because it would cut off access by [[sailing ships]] to the port facilities in the [[Pool of London]] between London Bridge and the [[Tower of London]].{{sfn|Bracken|2011|p=56}}

A ''Special Bridge or Subway Committee'' chaired by Sir Albert Joseph Altman was formed in December 1875 to find a solution.{{sfn|Welch|Barry|Benham|1894|p=159}} On 7 December 1876, the Committee presented a report recommending a bridge or subway to the east of London Bridge should be constructed, funds permitting.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Welch |first=Charles |title=History of The Tower Bridge |publisher=Smith, Elder and Co. |year=1894 |location=London |pages=152–200 }}</ref>

More than fifty designs were submitted, including one from civil engineer Sir [[Joseph Bazalgette]], which was rejected because of a lack of sufficient headroom. None of the designs gained support and it was not until 24 July 1884 that the Bridge House Estates Committee brought forward a report that proposed "a low level bridge, with mechanical opening or openings" be built.<ref name=":5" /> Following a deputation from the Committee visiting Belgium, Holland, and Newcastle Bridge, a proposal was presented on 28 October 1884 to the Court of Common Council for a mechanical bridge built according to one of three models: Design A, a [[swing bridge]]; Design B, a variation of that swing bridge; and Design C a [[bascule bridge]].{{sfn|Bracken|2011|p=56}}{{sfn|Welch|Barry|Benham|1894|pp=158,160}} Design C was recommended and a bill was prepared to present to Parliament.<ref name=":5" />

=== Legislation ===
The [[act of Parliament]] authorising construction received royal assent on 14 August 1885 and is called the [[Corporation of London (Tower Bridge) Act 1885]] ([[48 & 49 Vict.]] c. cxcv).<ref name=":5" /> The act was specific about the design of what it (and contemporary media) named "The Tower Bridge", rather than just "Tower Bridge". Key stipulations were:

# The central opening span to be 200 feet clear width with a height of 135 feet above Trinity high water when open, and a height of 29 feet when closed.
# The size of the piers to be 185 feet long and 70 feet wide.
# The length of each of the two side spans to be 270 feet.
# During construction a clear waterway of 160 feet wide had to be maintained for river traffic.
# The design of the bridge should be made to accord with the architecture of the [[Tower of London]].<ref name=":5" />
# The bridge was to be completed within 4 years from the passing of the act.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=14 August 1885 |title=Corporation of London (Tower Bridge) Act, 1885 |journal=Acts of Parliament 48 & 49 Vict |via=Parliamentary Archives }}</ref>
# The bridge was to be opened at any time for the passage of any vessels, regardless of any delays to land traffic.

[[John Wolfe Barry|Barry]] later noted that "at one time it was intended that the new works should be made suitable for the mounting of guns and for military occupation." But that "The latter idea was afterwards to a great extent discarded."<ref name=":5" /> However, the act provided for "the senior officer commanding in the Tower [of London]...shall at all times have...the right to occupy the Tower Bridge."

The extent of the maritime trade conducted at this time between the site of Tower Bridge and London Bridge (a distance of approximately 0.5 miles) is demonstrated in Schedule B of the act which lists 11 active [[Dock|docks]], quays and [[Wharf|wharfs]] operating on the north side of the Thames, and 20 wharfs operating on the south side.

Two further acts of Parliament were required to extend the time allowed to complete the works. On 12 August 1889 the [[Corporation of London (Tower Bridge) Act 1889]] received royal assent to extend the time allowed for construction by a further four years to 1893 and make various adjustments to neighbouring streets that had proved necessary. The work was not yet complete after those four years, and on 29 June 1893 the [[Corporation of London (Tower Bridge) Extension of Time Act 1893]] received royal assent extending the time by a further year.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Corporation of London (Tower Bridge) Act 1889 |date=12 August 1889 |publisher=UK Parliament |publication-date=12 August 1889 }}</ref>

=== Construction ===
Construction was funded by the [[City Bridge Foundation]], a charity established in 1282 for maintenance of London Bridge that subsequently expanded to cover Tower Bridge, [[Blackfriars Bridge]], [[Southwark Bridge]] and the [[Millennium Bridge (London)|Millennium Bridge]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Bridge House Estates |url=https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/about-us/city-of-london/bhe |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184527/https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/about-us/city-of-london/bhe |archive-date=9 July 2021 |access-date=1 July 2021 |website=Tower Bridge |publisher=[[City of London Corporation]] }}</ref>

Sir [[John Wolfe Barry]] was appointed engineer and Sir [[Horace Jones (architect)|Horace Jones]] the architect (who, as the City Architect, was also one of the judges).{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=922}}{{sfn|Roberts|2005|p=148}} Jones and Barry designed a bridge with two [[bridge tower]]s built on piers. The central [[span (engineering)|span]] was split into two equal bascules or leaves, which could be raised to allow river traffic to pass. The two side spans were suspension bridges, with rods anchored both at the [[abutment]]s and through rods contained in the bridge's upper walkways.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=922}}
[[File:Tower bridge works 1892.jpg|left|thumb|Tower Bridge under construction, 1892]]
Construction – overseen by [[Edward Cruttwell]] – started on 22 April 1886,<ref name=":5" /> with the [[cornerstone|foundation stone]] laid by the [[Edward VII|Prince of Wales]] on 21 June, and took eight years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thames – Bridges – Tower Bridge |url=https://www.victorianlondon.org/thames/towerbridge.htm |website=Victorian London |access-date=29 June 2021 |quote=Further communication across the Thames at this point had been urgently needed for many years. The necessary Act was passed in 1885, the foundation stone laid by the Prince of Wales on June 21, 1886, and the work completed, at a cost of about a million sterling, in 1894. |archive-date=29 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629154420/https://www.victorianlondon.org/thames/towerbridge.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=times_opening>{{cite news |title=The Opening Of The Towerbridge |newspaper=The Times |date=2 July 1894 |page=11 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS184736482/TTDA?u=kccl&sid=bookmark-TTDA&xid=9a3982e1 |access-date=23 June 2021 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The work was divided into eight contracts. Mr (later Sir) [[John Jackson (UK politician)|John Jackson]] won three of those contracts and was responsible for the northern approach to the bridge (which started in February 1887), the foundations of the piers and the abutments of the bridge (started February 1887),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/discover/people/divers |title=The Divers |website=Tower Bridge |publisher=[[City of London Corporation]] |access-date=23 June 2021 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624203844/https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/discover/people/divers |url-status=live }}</ref> and the cast iron parapet for the northern approach (December 1887) at a total accepted tender cost of £189,732;<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Tuit |first=J. E. |date=15 December 1893 |title=The Tower Bridge |journal=The Engineer |pages=556 }}</ref> Sir W. G. [[William Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong|Armstrong, Mitchell, and Co. Ltd]], was awarded the hydraulics contract for which they tendered £85,232 (December 1887); Mr [[William Webster (builder)|William Webster]] was responsible for the southern approach{{sfn|Welch|Barry|Benham|1894|p=219}} at £38,383 (July 1888); [[Sir William Arrol & Co.]] had the contract for the metalwork of the superstructure<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/discover/people/sir-william-arrol |title=Sir William Arrol |website=Tower Bridge |publisher=[[City of London Corporation]] |access-date=24 June 2021 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624205012/https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/discover/people/sir-william-arrol |url-status=live }}</ref> at £337,113 (May 1889), which amounted to about 12,100 tons;<ref name=":0" /> Messrs Perry & Co won two contracts covering the masonry superstructure (May 1889), and paving and lighting (May 1892) for a total accepted tender of £179,455.<ref name=":1" /> The total accepted tender for the eight contracts was £830,005.<ref name=":1" />

On average 432 people worked on the site,<ref name=":0" /> although at least 1,200 worked on its construction overall and received invitations to the entertainment provided for the workmen at its opening.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=4 July 1894 |title=The Workmen Entertained |work=City Press }}</ref> Cruttwell was the resident engineer throughout the period of construction{{sfn|Tower Bridge|1994|p=47}} (and remained associated with the bridge until his death in 1933).<ref name="Cruttwell">{{Cite web |title=About Edward Cruttwell |url=https://heritage.towerbridge.org.uk/about-edward-cruttwell/ |access-date=27 August 2024 |website=Heritage – Tower Bridge |language=en-GB |archive-date=28 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240828153532/https://heritage.towerbridge.org.uk/about-edward-cruttwell/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He noted that there were "only" ten fatal accidents during the construction: four in sinking the foundations, one on the approaches, and the remaining five on the superstructure.<ref name=":0" />

Two piers, containing over {{cvt|70,000|LT|ST t|0}} of concrete, were sunk into the riverbed to support the construction.{{sfn|Jepson|Porges|2014}} The first caisson was started in September 1886 and it was not until January 1890 that both piers were complete. The reason for the long duration of the foundation works was the need to defer excavation of the second pier until the staging for the first pier had been removed to allow 160 feet of clear water-way for shipping.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cruttwell |first=George Edward Wilson |date=28 March 1893 |title=The Foundations of the River-Piers of Tower Bridge |journal=Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers |volume=113 |issue=1893 |pages=117–136 |doi=10.1680/imotp.1893.20434 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/2245542 |access-date=13 June 2024 |archive-date=29 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240929053428/https://zenodo.org/records/2245542 |url-status=live }}</ref>

More than {{cvt|11,000|LT|ST t|0}} of steel were used in the framework for the towers and walkways, which were then clad in [[Cornwall|Cornish]] [[granite]] and [[Portland stone]] to protect the underlying steelwork, and achieve the stipulation that the bridge should fit architecturally with the Tower of London.{{sfn|Jones|2005|p=285}}

Jones died in 1887, and Barry took over as architect. Barry later summarised the contributions to the construction of Tower Bridge: "Mr Fyson, who undertook much of the preparation of the detailed drawings; Mr Stevenson, who had been his assistant with the architectural work; and...most of all...Mr Cruttwell, the Resident Engineer, and Mr Homfray, who superintended the machinery."<ref name=":3" /> Stevenson replaced Jones's original brick façade with the more ornate [[Victorian era|Victorian]] [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic]] style, which made the bridge a distinctive landmark and was intended to harmonise the bridge with the nearby Tower of London.{{sfn|Tower Bridge|1994|p=47}}{{sfn|Roberts|2005|p=150}} The total cost of construction was £1,184,000<ref name=times_opening/>{{sfn|Tower Bridge|1994|p=47}} (equivalent to £{{Formatprice|{{Inflation|UK|1184000|1894|{{inflation-year|UK}}|r=-4}}}} in {{inflation-year|UK}}).{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}}

=== Opening ===
[[File: Opening of Tower Bridge 1895.jpg|thumb|right|1895 painting of the opening of Tower Bridge, [[William Lionel Wyllie]]]]
Tower Bridge was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by the Prince and [[Alexandra of Denmark|Princess of Wales]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=922}}{{sfn|Robins|2017|p=17}} The opening ceremony was attended by the [[Lord Chamberlain]], the [[Charles Wynn-Carington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire|Lord Carrington]] and the [[Home Secretary]], [[H. H. Asquith]].<ref name=times_opening/> It was reported that "few [pageants] have been more brilliant or will have a more abiding and historic interest" than the opening of Tower Bridge in the history of the City of London, and it was a "semi-State" occasion.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 July 1894 |title=The New Tower Bridge – Opening By The Prince |work=The Standard |pages=3 }}</ref>

In addition to the official opening, the City of London Corporation gave an "entertainment", at a cost of £300, to 1,200 workmen and their wives. Edward Cruttwell, who had been in charge of the building of the bridge from the beginning, presided. After dinner, each workman was presented with a commemorative pipe and packet of tobacco, and each workman's wife with a box of sweetmeats.<ref name=":2" />

An Act of Parliament stipulated that a [[tug boat]] should be on station to assist vessels in danger when crossing the bridge, a requirement that remained in place until the 1960s.{{sfn|Robins|2017|p=17}}

The bridge connected Iron Gate, on the north bank of the river, with {{Not a typo|Horselydown}} Lane, on the south – now known as Tower Bridge Approach and [[Tower Bridge Road]], respectively.{{sfn|Tower Bridge|1994|p=47}} Until the bridge was opened, the [[Tower Subway]] – {{cvt|400|m|mi|order=flip}} to the west – was the shortest way to cross the river from [[Tower Hill]] to [[Tooley Street]] in [[Southwark]]. Opened in 1870, Tower Subway was among the world's earliest underground ("tube") railways, but it closed after just three months and was reopened as a tolled pedestrian foot tunnel. Once Tower Bridge was open, the majority of foot traffic transferred to using the bridge, as there was no toll to cross. Having lost most of its income, the tunnel was closed in 1898.{{sfn|Smith|2001|pp=22–23}}

The high-level open-air walkways between the towers gained a reputation for [[Prostitution in the United Kingdom|prostitutes]] and [[pickpocketing|pickpockets]]. Since they were only accessible by stairs, the walkways were seldom used by regular pedestrians and were closed in 1910.<ref name="walkway">{{cite news |title=Tower Bridge: fascinating facts and figures |first=Oliver |last=Smith |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/south-east/london-bridge/articles/Tower-Bridge-fascinating-facts-and-figures/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/south-east/london-bridge/articles/Tower-Bridge-fascinating-facts-and-figures/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=8 January 2018}}{{cbignore }}</ref>{{sfn|Rough Guides|1998|p=152}} The walkway reopened in 1982 as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition.<ref name="walkway"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/vertigo-calling-walkways-at-londons-tower-bridge-outfitted-with-glass |title=Vertigo calling: Walkways at London's Tower Bridge outfitted with glass floors |first=Matt |last=Hickman |work=Mother Nature Network |date=12 November 2014 |access-date=24 October 2019 |archive-date=24 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024213535/https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/vertigo-calling-walkways-at-londons-tower-bridge-outfitted-with-glass |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== 20th century ===
[[File:London Blitz 791940.jpg|thumb|left|Tower Bridge during the [[The Blitz|first mass air raid]] on London, 7 September 1940]]
[[File:Tower Bridge - 1950.jpg|thumb|Tower Bridge – 1950, BW Lee]]
[[File:SHort Sunderland V DP198 201.A Tower Br 16.09.56 edited-3.jpg|thumb|A [[Short Sunderland]] of [[No. 201 Squadron RAF]] moored at Tower Bridge during the 1956 commemoration of the [[Battle of Britain]]]]

After its opening, the City of London provided some funding to the police to pay for the policing of Tower Bridge, under an informal "compact". The Corporation of London (Blackfriars and other Bridges) Act 1906 (6 EdwVII c.clxxx) formally placed the bridge under the City of London's policing jurisdiction.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/documents/s74250/Policing%20the%20Bridges%20-%20Appendix%201.pdf |title=Policing the Bridges and allocation of costs to the Bridge House Estates |publisher=City of London |author=P R E Double |date=September 2016 |access-date=31 January 2025}}</ref>

During the [[Second World War]], Tower Bridge was seen as a major transport link to the [[Port of London]], and consequently was a target for enemy action. In 1940, the high-level span took a direct hit, severing the hydraulic mechanism and taking the bridge out of action. In April 1941, a [[parachute mine]] exploded close to the bridge, causing serious damage to the bascule, towers, and engine room. In 1942, a third engine was installed in case the existing ones were damaged by enemy action.{{sfn|Milne|2020|p=153}} It was a 150&nbsp;[[horsepower|hp]] horizontal cross-compound engine, built by [[Vickers Armstrong Ltd.]] at their Elswick works in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was fitted with a [[flywheel]] having a {{convert|9|ft|m|adj=on}} diameter and weighing 9 tons, and was governed to a speed of 30 rpm. The engine became redundant when the rest of the system was modernised in 1974 and was donated to the [[Forncett Industrial Steam Museum]] by the [[City of London Corporation]].<ref name="Forncett">{{cite web |title=The Tower Bridge Engine |publisher=Forncett Industrial Steam Museum |url=http://oldenginehouse.users.btopenworld.com/towerb.htm |access-date=27 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100225024729/http://oldenginehouse.users.btopenworld.com/towerb.htm |archive-date=25 February 2010 }}</ref>

The southern section of the bridge, in the [[London Borough of Southwark]], was [[Grade I listed]] on 6 December 1949.<ref>{{NHLE |num=1385980 |desc=Tower Bridge (that part that lies within the Borough of Southwark) |access-date=24 October 2019 |fewer-links=yes }}</ref> The remainder of the bridge, in the [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets]], was listed on 27 September 1973.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1357515|desc=Tower Bridge (that part that lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets|access-date=24 October 2019|fewer-links=yes }}</ref>

On 30 December 1952, a number 78 double-decker bus was crossing Tower Bridge. The process of stopping traffic when the bridge was getting raised failed while a relief watchman was on duty.
The bus was near the edge of the south bascule when it started to rise. Driver [[Albert Gunter|Albert Edward Gunter]] (1906–1968) made a split-second decision to accelerate the bus, clearing a 1.8 m (6 ft) drop onto the north bascule, which had not started to rise. The conductor broke his leg and twelve of the twenty passengers aboard received minor injuries. The driver was later rewarded with a £10 bonus (about £246.81 in 2025) for his quick thinking.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://time.com/vault/issue/1953-01-12/page/31/|title=The TIME Vault: January 12, 1953}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn7m8dmkglxo|title=The man who 'jumped' a double-decker bus over Tower Bridge's gap|date=30 December 2024|website=BBC News}}</ref>

In 1960, the upper bridges of the two pedestrian walkways that connected the two main towers were converted from being [[cantilever bridge]]s, projecting horizontally out into space, to [[suspension bridge]]s when suspension cables were added. This was to reinforce the strength of the walkways.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What type of bridge is Tower Bridge? |url=https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/discover/what-type-of-bridge-is-tower-bridge |access-date=14 May 2024 |website=Tower Bridge |language=en |archive-date=14 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514131526/https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/discover/what-type-of-bridge-is-tower-bridge |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1974, the original operating mechanism was largely replaced by a new electro-hydraulic drive system, designed by Geoffrey Beresford Hartwell, of BHA Cromwell House, with the original final [[pinion]]s driven by modern [[hydraulic motor]]s.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=923}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.phoenixhydraulics.co.uk/Blog/londons-tower-bridge |title=London's Tower Bridge |work=Phoenix Hydraulics |access-date=24 October 2014 |archive-date=24 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024184056/https://www.phoenixhydraulics.co.uk/Blog/londons-tower-bridge |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1982, the Tower Bridge Exhibition opened, housed in the bridge's twin towers, the long-closed high-level walkways, and the Victorian engine rooms. The latter still houses the original steam engines and some of the original [[hydraulic machinery]].<ref name=gbhmod>{{cite web |url=http://www.arbitrator-engineer-gbh.co.uk/#!firm/c1n8o |title=The Firm: BHA Cromwell House |publisher=G. M. Beresford Hartwell |access-date=30 June 2015 |archive-date=19 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150819105646/http://www.arbitrator-engineer-gbh.co.uk/#!firm/c1n8o |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=hartwell>{{cite web |last=Hartwell |first=Geoffrey |title=Tower Bridge, London |url=http://www.hartwell.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/tbpic.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208132600/http://www.hartwell.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/tbpic.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 December 2013 |access-date=27 February 2007 }}</ref><ref name="tbeabout">{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/about-us |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706024544/http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/about/ |archive-date=6 July 2015 |access-date=8 April 2024 |website=Tower Bridge |publisher= }}</ref>

===21st century===
The bridge closed for a month in 2000 to repair the bascules and perform other maintenance.<ref>{{cite news |last=Waller |first=Martin |title=Tower Bridge stays down |newspaper=The Times |date=12 September 2000 |page=31 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/IF0501407652/TTDA?u=kccl&sid=TTDA&xid=5b7637b1 |access-date=14 September 2020 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=29 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240929053454/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=TTDA&u=kccl&id=GALE%7CIF0501407652&v=2.1&it=r&sid=TTDA&asid=5b7637b1 |url-status=live }}</ref> A computer system was installed to control the raising and lowering of the bascules remotely. However, the system proved unreliable, resulting in the bridge being stuck in the open or closed positions on several occasions during 2005 until its sensors were replaced.<ref name=BBCstickFix />

In April 2008, authorities announced that the bridge would undergo a £4&nbsp;million refurbishment that would take four years to complete. The work entailed stripping existing paint down to bare metal and repainting in blue and white.<ref name=truecolours /><ref name="finishingtouches" /> Before this, the bridge's colour scheme dated from 1977, when it was painted red, white, and blue for [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]]'s [[Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Silver Jubilee]]. Its colours were subsequently restored to blue and white.<ref name=truecolours>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thetowerbridge.info/diary/tower-bridge-restored-to-true-colours.html |title=Tower Bridge restored to true colours |website=Tower Bridge Restoration |date=10 March 2010 |access-date=8 February 2017 |publisher=Harris Digital Productions |archive-date=18 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418064211/http://www.thetowerbridge.info/diary/tower-bridge-restored-to-true-colours.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="finishingtouches">{{Cite web |url=http://www.thetowerbridge.info/diary/finishing-touches-to-tower-bridge.html |title=Finishing touches to Tower Bridge |website=Tower Bridge Restoration |access-date=8 February 2017 |publisher=Harris Digital Productions |archive-date=18 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418080041/http://www.thetowerbridge.info/diary/finishing-touches-to-tower-bridge.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Each section was enshrouded in scaffolding and plastic sheeting to prevent the old paint falling into the Thames and causing pollution. Starting in mid-2008, contractors worked on a quarter of the bridge at a time to minimise disruption, but some road closures were inevitable. The completed work should stand for 25 years.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tower Bridge to get £4m facelift |website=[[BBC News]] |date=7 April 2008 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7335380.stm |access-date=8 April 2008 |archive-date=12 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412010948/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7335380.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The renovation of the walkway interior was completed in mid-2009. The renovation of the four suspension chains was completed in March 2010 using a state-of-the-art coating system requiring up to six different layers of paint.<ref name=truecolours /> A lighting system based on [[RGB LED]] [[luminaire]]s was installed, concealed within the bridge superstructure, and attached without drilling holes, owing to the bridge's Grade I listing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tower Bridge lighting |work=Interior Event & Exhibition Lighting Design scheme |publisher=ES Lighting Design |date=29 April 2009 |url=http://www.eslightingdesign.co.uk/commercial/london-tower-bridge.aspx |access-date=27 August 2009 |archive-date=11 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911111602/http://eslightingdesign.co.uk/commercial/london-tower-bridge.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Chithrubar.jpg|thumb|Tower Bridge with Olympic Rings during the [[2012 London Olympics]]]]

On 8 July 2012, as part of the [[2012 Summer Olympics|London Olympics]], the west walkway was transformed into a {{convert|200|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} Live Music Sculpture by the British composer Samuel Bordoli. Thirty classical musicians were arranged along the length of the bridge {{convert|42|m|ft|0|order=flip}} above the Thames behind the Olympic rings. The sound travelled backward and forwards along the walkway, echoing the structure of the bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classicfm.com/music-news/latest-news/tower-bridge-londons-latest-venue/ |title=Tower Bridge is London's Latest Venue |website=Classic FM |access-date=28 May 2013 |archive-date=25 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725151304/http://www.classicfm.com/music-news/latest-news/tower-bridge-londons-latest-venue/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classical-music.com/news/tower-bridge-musical-instrument |title=Tower Bridge as a musical instrument |publisher=Classical-Music.com |access-date=28 May 2013 |archive-date=23 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223222339/http://www.classical-music.com/news/tower-bridge-musical-instrument |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Following the Olympics, the rings were removed from Tower Bridge and replaced by the [[Paralympic symbols#Current|emblem]] of the [[Paralympic Games]] for the [[2012 Summer Paralympics]].<ref name=guardian-paraprep>{{cite news |title=London 2012: let the Paralympics preparations begin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/aug/13/london-2012-paralympic-preparations-begin?newsfeed=true |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=18 August 2012 |first=Alexandra |last=Topping |date=13 August 2012 |archive-date=2 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502185715/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/aug/13/london-2012-paralympic-preparations-begin?newsfeed=true |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2016, Tower Bridge was closed to all road traffic from 1 October to 30 December.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events/tower-bridge-closure |title=Tower Bridge closure |publisher=Transport for London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011071655/https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events/tower-bridge-closure |archive-date=11 October 2016 }}</ref> This was to allow structural maintenance work to take place on the timber decking, lifting mechanism and waterproofing the brick arches on the bridge's approaches. During this, the bridge was still open to waterborne traffic. It was open to pedestrians for all but three weekends when a free ferry service was in operation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-37529331 |title=Tower Bridge closes until December for maintenance work |website=[[BBC News]] |date=1 October 2016 |access-date=28 January 2020 |archive-date=29 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129024802/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-37529331 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Design ==
=== Structure ===
[[File:Tower Bridge (aerial view).jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Tower Bridge]]
[[File:Tower Bridge, aerial view, white lights, bridge open.jpg|thumb|Aerial view with bridge open]]
The structure was originally designed by [[Horace Jones (architect)|Horace Jones]] but his design had an arch instead of the current high-level footways. Concerns about ships' masts and rigging hitting the arch meant that his design faced objections and Jones "began to think that the arched form must be given up".<ref name=":0" /> It was at this point in 1885 that [[John Wolfe Barry]] partnered with Jones and developed the concept of the "level soffit for the upper bridge" which allowed the design to proceed as it stands today.<ref name=":3" /> Unusually, Tower Bridge was designed to include three types of bridge: the two spans from the shore to the piers are a [[Suspension bridge|suspension]] bridge; the central, opening span is a [[Bascule bridge|bascule]] bridge; and the high level walkways were [[Cantilever bridge|cantilever]] bridges until converted to [[Suspension bridge|suspension]] bridges in 1960.<ref name=":4" />

The main towers "consist of a skeleton of steelwork, covered with a facing of granite and Portland stone, backed with brickwork on the inside faces."<ref name=":0" /> An octagonal steel column stands at each corner of each tower (119 feet 6 inches long). The smaller abutment towers were "generally similar...though on a smaller scale."<ref name=":0" />

"The total length of the bridge, including the abutments, is 940 feet, and the length of the approaches are 1,260 feet on the north side, and 780 feet on the south side. The width of the bridge and approaches between the parapets is 60 feet, except across the opening span where it is 49 feet. The steepest gradients are 1 in 60 on the north side, and 1 in 40 on the south side."<ref name=":0" />

The central span of {{convert|200|ft|m}} between the towers is split into two equal bascules, or leaves, which project 100 feet out each and extend backwards 62 feet 6 inches within the face of each pier. The bascules, weighing about 1,070 tons each including ballast and paving,<ref name=":0" /> are counterbalanced to minimise the force required and allow raising in five minutes and have an arc of rotation of 82° with the centre of the arc, or pivot point, being 13 feet 3 inches inside the face of each pier and 5 feet 7 inches beneath the surface of the roadway.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="phoenix">{{cite web |url=https://www.phoenixhydraulics.co.uk/Blog/londons-tower-bridge |title=London's Tower Bridge |work=Phoenix Hydraulics |access-date=28 January 2020 |archive-date=24 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024184056/https://www.phoenixhydraulics.co.uk/Blog/londons-tower-bridge |url-status=live }}</ref>

The two side spans are suspension bridges, each {{convert|270|ft|m|0}} long, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways. The pedestrian walkways are {{convert|143|ft|m|0}} above the river at high tide and accessed by lifts and staircases.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=922}}{{sfn|Tower Bridge|1994|p=47}} These walkways were designed as cantilever bridges for a distance from each tower of 55 feet, with girders bridging the 120 feet between the ends of the cantilevers.<ref name=":5" />

The structure was designed to withstand wind pressures of 56 lb per square foot ({{convert|56/144|psi|disp=output only}}), a design constraint introduced following the [[Tay Bridge disaster|Tay Bridge]] disaster<ref name=":3" /> which had occurred just 15 years before the opening of Tower Bridge.

There is a chimney on the bridge that is painted to look like a lamppost. It was connected to a fireplace in a guardroom located in one of the bridge piers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abrahams |first=Luke |date=8 February 2018 |title=Six amazing things you never knew about Tower Bridge |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/reveller/attractions/the-history-of-tower-bridge-six-amazing-things-you-never-knew-a3750461.html |access-date=2 May 2023 |website=Evening Standard |language=en |archive-date=2 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502004648/https://www.standard.co.uk/reveller/attractions/the-history-of-tower-bridge-six-amazing-things-you-never-knew-a3750461.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Hydraulic system===
[[File:Tower.bridge.99.machinery.london.arp.jpg|thumb|One of the original steam engines]]
The original raising mechanism was powered by pressurised water stored in six [[hydraulic accumulator]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TBE/EN/BridgeHistory/ |title=Bridge History |website=Tower Bridge |publisher=[[City of London Corporation]] |date=1 February 2003 |access-date=13 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620160843/http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TBE/EN/BridgeHistory |archive-date=20 June 2012 }}</ref> There were then two pairs of engines on each pier. Each pair consisted of a larger engine 8 ½ inches in diameter and a smaller one at 7 ½ inches. All eight engines had three cylinders. The reason for two pairs of engines on each pier was to build in redundancy. The machinery was "equal to twice the requirements of the Board of Trade", already very rigorous standards established following the [[Tay Bridge disaster|Tay Bridge Disaster]].<ref name=":5" />

The system was designed and installed by [[Hamilton Owen Rendel]] while working for [[Armstrong, Mitchell and Company]] of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Obituary – Hamilton de Marchi Owen Rendel |newspaper=The Times |date=19 September 1902 |page=8 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS135588659/TTDA?u=kccl&sid=bookmark-TTDA&xid=0fe40bc6 |access-date=24 June 2021 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=29 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240929053427/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=TTDA&u=kccl&id=GALE%7CCS135588659&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-TTDA&asid=0fe40bc6 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Spencer-Silver|Stephens|2005|p=85}} Water at a pressure of {{cvt|750|psi|MPa}} was pumped into the accumulators by a pair of [[stationary steam engine]]s.{{sfn|Peacock|2011|p=24}} Each drove a force pump from its piston tail rod. The accumulators each comprise a {{convert|20|in|cm|adj=on}} ram which sits a very heavy weight to maintain the desired pressure.<ref name="phoenix" />

The entire hydraulic system along with the gas lighting system was installed by [[William Thomas Sugg|William Sugg & Co Ltd]]. The gas lighting was initially by open-flame burners within the lanterns, but was soon updated to the later incandescent system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.williamsugghistory.co.uk/ |title=History William Sugg & Co Westminster gas lighting cooking heating appliance manufacturer. |access-date=30 June 2013 |archive-date=30 June 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630014442/http://www.williamsugghistory.co.uk/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1974, the original operating mechanism was largely replaced by a new electro-hydraulic drive system, designed by BHA Cromwell House.{{sfn|Peacock|2011|p=24}} The only remaining parts of the old system are the final pinions, which fit into the racks on the bascules and were driven by [[hydraulic motor]]s and gearing. Oil is now used in place of water as the new [[hydraulic fluid]].{{sfn|Peacock|2011|p=25}}

=== Signalling and control ===
[[File:Tower Bridge London uk.jpg|thumb|Tower Bridge in 2018]]
Originally, river traffic passing beneath the bridge was required to follow several rules and signals. Daytime control was provided by red [[Railway semaphore signal|semaphore signal]]s, mounted on small control cabins on either end of both of the bridge piers. At night, coloured lights were used, in either direction, on both of the piers: two red lights to show that the bridge was closed, and two green to show that it was open. In foggy weather, a [[gong]] was sounded as well.{{sfn|Tower Bridge|1994|p=47}}

Vessels passing through the bridge were required to display signals. By day, a black ball at least {{convert|2|ft|m|2}} in diameter was mounted high up where it could be seen. Night passage called for two red lights in the same position. Foggy weather required repeated blasts from the ship's [[steam whistle]]. If a black ball was suspended from the middle of each walkway (or a red light at night) this indicated that the bridge could not be opened. These signals were repeated about {{convert|1000|yd|m}} downstream, at [[Cherry Garden Pier]], where boats needing to pass through the bridge had to hoist their signals/lights and sound their horn, as appropriate, to alert the bridge master.{{sfn|Tower Bridge|1994|p=47}}

Some of the control mechanism for the signalling equipment has been preserved and is housed in the Tower Bridge's museum.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/Visit-Engine-Rooms/ |title=Engine Rooms |website=Tower Bridge |publisher=[[City of London Corporation]] |access-date=30 January 2020 |archive-date=9 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409193415/https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/Visit-Engine-Rooms/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Traffic ==
[[File:Cmglee Tower Bridge tall ship.jpg|thumb|right|The [[tall ship]] ''[[Wylde Swan]]'' passing under Tower Bridge decorated for the London Olympics in August 2012. Note the Olympic rings are folded up to allow passage of the mast.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sailroyalgreenwich.co.uk/en/corporate-hospitality/fleet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009010301/http://www.sailroyalgreenwich.co.uk/en/corporate-hospitality/fleet |url-status=dead |title=Fleet |website=Sail Royal Greenwich |publisher=Nautisch Evenementen Bureau |archive-date=9 October 2012 }}</ref>]]
[[File:Tower Bridge, gates closed - geograph.org.uk - 3703876.jpg|thumb|right|Preparing Tower Bridge for raising. When this occurs, gates across the low-level part are closed and motorists are ordered to stop by a red light on ordinary traffic signals, not by a pair of flashing red lights.]]

=== Road ===
During the first twelve months after the opening of the bridge, the average stoppage of road traffic at each bridge lift was six minutes. The average number of vehicles crossing the bridge daily was about 8,000.<ref name=":0" />

Tower Bridge is still a busy crossing of the Thames, used by more than 40,000 people (motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians) every day.<ref name="BBCstickFix">{{cite news |title=Fix to stop bridge getting stuck |website=[[BBC News]] |date=17 January 2006 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4620622.stm |access-date=25 September 2007 |archive-date=5 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070305195104/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4620622.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The bridge is on the [[London Inner Ring Road]], and is on the eastern boundary of the [[London congestion charge]] zone (drivers do not incur the charge by crossing the bridge).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2007/february/transport-for-london-cracks-down-on-damage-to-tower-bridge |title=Transport for London cracks down on damage to Tower Bridge |work=Transport for London |date=6 February 2007 |access-date=24 October 2019 |archive-date=24 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024171319/https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2007/february/transport-for-london-cracks-down-on-damage-to-tower-bridge |url-status=live }}</ref>

To maintain the integrity of the structure, the City of London Corporation has imposed a {{convert|20|mph|km/h|0|adj=on}} speed restriction, and an {{convert|18|t|ST|adj=on}} weight limit on vehicles using the bridge. A camera system measures the speed of traffic crossing the bridge, using a [[vehicle registration plate|number plate]] recognition system to send [[Fixed penalty notice|fixed penalty charges]] to speeding drivers.<ref name=tbspeedcheck>{{cite web |url=http://www.speedcheck.co.uk/images/Tower_Bridge_Case_Study.pdf |author=Speed Check Services |access-date=18 November 2010 |title=Bridge Protection Scheme |archive-date=31 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331155026/http://www.speedcheck.co.uk/images/Tower_Bridge_Case_Study.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A second system monitors other vehicle parameters. [[Induction loop]]s and [[piezoelectricity|piezoelectric]] sensors are used to measure the weight, the height of the chassis above ground level, and the number of axles of each vehicle, with drivers of overweight vehicles also receiving fixed penalty notices.<ref name=tbspeedcheck />

===Pedestrian===
Pedestrians can walk across on the bascule bridge when it is down for auto and truck traffic. Ship traffic has priority, meaning traffic using the bascule bridge waits when the bridge opens for ships.

From the outset in 1894, the high-level connection was a pedestrian route and was intended to allow pedestrian movement to continue while the bascule bridge was open for ship traffic. During the first twelve months after opening, the average number of pedestrians using the bridge was about 60,000 daily.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last1=Cruttwell |first1=George Edward Wilson |title="The Tower Bridge: Superstructure" |journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers |date=10 November 1896 |volume=Paper No. 2938 |page=53 }}</ref> The pedestrian walkways in each direction were changed to have glass floors in 2014. Lifts bring pedestrians up to and down from the high level pedestrian bridge. The upper walkways are part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, which included a tour of how the bascule bridge works. Pedestrians can view the city from the bridge and through its upper walkway.<ref name=GlassFloors>{{cite web |url=https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/your-visit/glass-floor#hide-main-navigation |title=Glass Floors |work=City Bridge Foundation |date= |access-date=30 April 2024 |archive-date=29 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240929053550/https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/your-visit/glass-floor#hide-main-navigation |url-status=live }}</ref> There is a fee for the Tower Bridge Exhibition, tickets are needed.<ref name=GlassFloors />

=== River ===
During the first twelve months after the opening of the bridge, the bascules were raised for the passage of vessels 6,160 times, an average of seventeen times daily.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cruttwell |first1=George Edward Wilson |title="The Tower Bridge: Superstructure" |journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Cvil Engineers |date=10 November 1896 |volume=Paper no. 2938 |page=52 }}</ref> Now, the bascules are raised about a thousand times a year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bridge Lifts |website=Tower Bridge |publisher=[[City of London Corporation]] |url=http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TowerBridge/English/BridgeLifts/ |access-date=25 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912190426/http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TowerBridge/English/BridgeLifts/ |archive-date=12 September 2007 }}</ref> River traffic is now much reduced, but it still takes priority over road traffic. Today, 24 hours' notice is required before opening the bridge, and opening times are published in advance on the bridge's website;<ref>{{cite web |title=Bridge Lift Times |url=http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-times/ |website=Tower Bridge Exhibition |publisher=[[Corporation of the City of London|City of London]] |access-date=10 November 2014 |archive-date=10 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110194407/http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-times/ |url-status=live }}</ref> there is no charge for vessels to open the bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/about-us/how-often-and-why-does-tower-bridge-open |title=How often does Tower Bridge open? |website=Tower Bridge |publisher=[[City of London Corporation]] |access-date=29 December 2020 |archive-date=23 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123051519/https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/about-us/how-often-and-why-does-tower-bridge-open |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Cycling ===
[[Transport for London]] have proposed [[List of cycle routes in London#Cycle Superhighways|Cycle Superhighway 4]] to run across Tower Bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/roads/cs4/ |title=Have your say on Cycle Superhighway Route 4 from Tower Bridge to Greenwich |work=Transport for London |date=1 August 2019 |access-date=28 June 2021 |archive-date=28 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628143245/https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/roads/cs4/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Touring the bridge ==
[[File:tower.bridge.9.walkwaysinterior.london.arp.jpg|thumb|right|Interior of high-level [[walkway]] in 2005 (used as an exhibition space) prior to glass floors]]
The Tower Bridge attraction is a display housed inside the bridge's towers, the high-level walkways, and the Victorian engine rooms. It uses films, photos, and interactive displays to explain why and how Tower Bridge was built. Visitors can access the original [[steam engine]]s that once powered the bridge bascules, housed in Engine Rooms, underneath the south end of the bridge.<ref name=tbeabout />

The attraction charges an admission fee. The entrance is from the ticket office on the west side of the North Tower, from where visitors can climb the stairs (or take a lift) to the high-level Walkways to cross to the South Tower. In the Towers and Walkways is interpretation about the history of the bridge. The Walkways also provide views over the city, the [[Tower of London]] and the [[Pool of London]], and include two Glass Floors, where you can look down to see the road and River Thames below. From the South Tower, visitors can visit exit and follow the Blue Line to the Victorian Engine Rooms, with the original steam engines, which are situated in a separate building underneath the southern approach to the bridge.<ref name="tbestep">{{cite web |title=Visitor Information |url=https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/your-visit/visitor-information |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706025946/http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/step-inside/ |archive-date=6 July 2015 |access-date=8 April 2024 |website=Tower Bridge |publisher= }}</ref>

Of 1,114 English visitor attractions tracked by Visit England, in 2019 Tower Bridge had 889,338 visitors and was the 34th most visited attraction in England, and the 17th most visited attraction that charged an admission fee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=England UK Tourism Industry Stats & Data {{!}} VisitBritain.org |url=https://www.visitbritain.org/research-insights/england-visitor-attractions-latest |access-date=14 May 2024 |website=www.visitbritain.org |language=en |archive-date=29 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240929053430/https://www.visitbritain.org/research-insights/england-visitor-attractions-latest |url-status=live }}</ref> It is one of only three bridges in England tracked as a visitor attraction alongside [[Clifton Suspension Bridge]] and The [[The Iron Bridge|Iron Bridge]].

== Reaction ==
[[File:Tower_Bridge_London_2022-10-10.jpg|thumb|right|Side view of Tower Bridge, from King's Stairs Gardens]]

Although Tower Bridge is an undoubted landmark, with the City of London calling it "London's defining landmark",<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Inside Tower Bridge |url=https://fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/whats-on/visit-tower-bridge |access-date=14 May 2024 |website=FYi Directory |language=en |archive-date=14 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514141845/https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/whats-on/visit-tower-bridge |url-status=live }}</ref> some professional commentators in the early 20th century were critical of its aesthetics. "It represents the vice of tawdriness and pretentiousness, and of falsification of the actual facts of the structure", wrote [[Henry Heathcote Statham]],{{sfn|Smith|1953|page=153}} while [[Frank Brangwyn]] stated that "A more absurd structure than the Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river".{{sfn|Wade|2016|page=[{{GBurl|DXGrDAAAQBAJ|page=129}} 129]}}

Benjamin Crisler, the ''New York Times'' film critic, wrote in 1938: "Three unique and valuable institutions the British have that we in America have not: [[Magna Carta]], the Tower Bridge and [[Alfred Hitchcock]]."<ref>{{cite news |last=Crisler |first=B. R. |title=Hitchcock: Master Melodramatist |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1938/06/12/archives/hitchcock-master-melodramatist.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=12 June 1938 |access-date=11 June 2018 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612224617/https://www.nytimes.com/1938/06/12/archives/hitchcock-master-melodramatist.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Architectural historian [[Dan Cruickshank]] selected Tower Bridge as one of his four choices for the 2002 BBC television documentary series ''[[Britain's Best Buildings]]''.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/programme_archive/best_buildings_06.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070513091752/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/programme_archive/best_buildings_06.shtml |title=Choosing Britain's Best Buildings |access-date=3 June 2008 |last=Cruickshank |first=Dan |author-link=Dan Cruickshank |website=BBC History |date=1 November 2002 |archive-date=13 May 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{sfn|Britain's Best Buildings|2002}} The bridge and its surrounding landscape was depicted in an official [[BBC]] [[trailer (promotion)|trailer]] for the [[2021 Rugby League World Cup]] (in reference to [[2021 Rugby League World Cup#Stadium locations|London being one of the host cities]]).<ref name=BBCtrailer>{{cite web |title=Rugby League World Cup 2022 🏉 Trailer 🏟 BBC Trailers |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvcdvhSTELw |website=[[YouTube]].com |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=27 October 2022 |date=9 October 2022 |archive-date=27 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027221618/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvcdvhSTELw |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Greater London South Scout County.jpg|thumb|right|Tower Bridge shown on the badge of Greater London South Scouts]]

Tower Bridge has been mistaken for the next bridge upstream, [[London Bridge]].{{sfn|Frommer|Cochran|2007|p=184}} A popular [[urban legend]] is that in 1968, [[Robert P. McCulloch]], the purchaser of the old [[London Bridge (Lake Havasu City)|London Bridge]] that was later shipped to [[Lake Havasu City, Arizona|Lake Havasu City]] in [[Arizona]], believed that he was buying Tower Bridge. This was denied by McCulloch himself and has been debunked by Ivan Luckin, the vendor of the bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/169982.how-london-bridge-was-sold-to-the-states/ |title=How London Bridge was sold to the States |work=[[Watford Observer]] |date=27 March 2002 |access-date=13 June 2012 |archive-date=4 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104231327/https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/169982.how-london-bridge-was-sold-to-the-states/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

A partial replica of Tower Bridge has been built in the city of [[Suzhou, Jiangsu|Suzhou]] in [[China]]. The replica differs from the original in having no lifting mechanism and four separate towers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/jun/03/from-tower-bridge-to-sydney-harbour-welcome-to-chinas-city-of-clones |title=From Tower Bridge to Sydney Harbour, welcome to China's city of clones |work=The Guardian |date=3 June 2014 |first1=Michael |last1=Silk |first2=Andrew |last2=Manley |access-date=14 July 2015 |archive-date=14 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714211032/http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/jun/03/from-tower-bridge-to-sydney-harbour-welcome-to-chinas-city-of-clones |url-status=live }}</ref> The Suzhou replica was renovated in 2019, giving it a new look that differs from the original London design.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://chinaplus.cri.cn/news/china/9/20190130/243076.html |title=Renovations of Tower Bridge in Suzhou nears completion |work=China Plus |date=30 January 2019 |access-date=9 November 2020 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109020543/http://chinaplus.cri.cn/news/china/9/20190130/243076.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Tower Bridge is the emblem of the [[Scouting in Greater London|Greater London Scout Region]] of [[The Scout Association]] and features on the badges of the six London [[Scout county (The Scout Association)|Scout counties]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://southlondonscouts.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/4_members_area/programme/county_badges/home_adventures/challenge_awards/ccs_challenge/South%20London%20Scouts%20-%20London%20Scout%20Region%20activity.pdf |title=South London Scouts – London Scout Region |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=southlondonscouts.org.uk |publisher=South London Scouts |access-date=8 June 2023 |archive-date=8 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608165313/https://southlondonscouts.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/4_members_area/programme/county_badges/home_adventures/challenge_awards/ccs_challenge/South%20London%20Scouts%20-%20London%20Scout%20Region%20activity.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Incidents ==
[[File:Tower Bridge in London at night.jpg|thumb|Tower Bridge in London]]
On 10 August 1912, the pioneering stunt pilot [[Francis McClean]] flew between the bascules and the high-level walkways in his [[Short Brothers]] S.33 floatplane. McClean became a celebrity overnight because of the stunt, and went on to fly underneath [[London Bridge]], [[Blackfriars Bridge]] and [[Waterloo Bridge]].{{sfn|Stewart|1964|page=40}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21518157 |title=Frank McClean: Forgotten pioneer of the sky |first=Gerald |last=Butt |website=[[BBC News]] |date=25 February 2013 |access-date=25 June 2021 |archive-date=25 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625122442/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21518157 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 3 August 1922, a 13-year-old boy fell off a slipway next to the south side of Tower Bridge. A man jumped into the Thames to save him, but both were pulled under a barge by [[Butler's Wharf]] and drowned.<ref>{{cite news |title=Man And Boy Drowned At Tower Bridge |newspaper=The Times |date=4 August 1922 |page=5 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS87102212/TTDA?u=kccl&sid=TTDA&xid=9c3fe8ba |access-date=14 September 2020 |archive-date=29 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240929053428/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=TTDA&u=kccl&id=GALE%7CCS87102212&v=2.1&it=r&sid=TTDA&asid=9c3fe8ba |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 1952, the bridge opened while a [[London Buses route 78|number 78]] double-decker bus was crossing from the south bank. At that time, the gateman would ring a warning bell and close the gates when the bridge was clear before the watchman ordered the raising of the bridge. The process failed while a relief watchman was on duty. The bus was near the edge of the south bascule when it started to rise; driver [[Albert Gunter]] made a split-second decision to accelerate, clearing a {{convert|3|ft|m|0|adj=on}} gap to drop {{convert|6|ft|m|0}} onto the north bascule, which had not yet started to rise. There were no serious injuries. Gunter was given [[GBP|£]]10 (equivalent to £{{inflation|UK|10|1952|r=-1}} in {{inflation-year|UK}}{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}}) by the City Corporation to honour his act of bravery.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Jumping Bus |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=12 January 1953 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,817691,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222123553/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,817691,00.html |archive-date=22 December 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=David |last=Leafe |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/architecture/8459219/Tower-Bridge-a-towering-boys-toy.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/architecture/8459219/Tower-Bridge-a-towering-boys-toy.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Tower Bridge: a towering boy's toy |newspaper=Daily Telegraph |date=19 April 2011 |access-date=14 September 2020}}{{cbignore }}</ref>
[[File:South Arch of Tower Bridge (South Face - 01).jpg|thumb|left|The south arch of Tower Bridge]]

On 5 April 1968, a [[Royal Air Force]] [[Hawker Hunter]] FGA.9 jet fighter from [[No. 1 Squadron RAF|No. 1 Squadron]] made [[Hawker Hunter Tower Bridge incident|an unauthorised flight through Tower Bridge]]. Unimpressed that senior staff was not going to celebrate the RAF's 50th birthday with a [[fly-past|flypast]], the pilot flew at low altitude down the Thames without authorisation, past the [[Houses of Parliament]], and continued towards the bridge. He flew beneath the walkway, at an estimated {{convert|300|mph|-2}}. He was placed under arrest upon landing, and discharged from the RAF on medical grounds without the chance to defend himself at a [[court martial]].{{sfn|Shaw|1986|page=157}}<ref>{{cite news |title=RAF fighter 'buzzes' Thames bridges |newspaper=The Times |date=6 April 1968 |page=2 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS34958982/TTDA?u=kccl&sid=TTDA&xid=9084e35b |access-date=14 September 2020 |archive-date=29 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240929053428/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=TTDA&u=kccl&id=GALE%7CCS34958982&v=2.1&it=r&sid=TTDA&asid=9084e35b |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 31 July 1973, a single-engined [[Beagle Pup]] was twice flown under the pedestrian walkway of Tower Bridge by 29-year-old stockbroker's clerk Peter Martin. Martin, who was on bail following accusations of stock market fraud, then "buzzed" buildings in the city before flying north towards the [[Lake District]], where he died when his aircraft crashed some two hours later.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/lakes/axic.html |title=Beagle Pup G-AXIC – Keswick |website=www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk |access-date=11 January 2020 |archive-date=11 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111101714/http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/lakes/axic.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Gives Suicide Plan To Crash Plane into Tower of London, Dies in Crash 240 Miles Away |work=Lundington Daily News |date=1 August 1973 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VJAKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HUwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4691%2C2487801 |access-date=14 February 2010 |archive-date=22 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222192722/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VJAKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HUwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4691%2C2487801 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In May 1997, the [[Presidential State Car (United States)|motorcade]] of United States President [[Bill Clinton]] was divided by the opening of the bridge. The [[Thames sailing barge]] ''Gladys'', on her way to a gathering at [[St Katharine Docks]], arrived on schedule and the bridge was opened for her. Returning from a Thames-side lunch at ''Le Pont de la Tour'' restaurant with UK Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]], President Clinton was less punctual and arrived just as the bridge was rising. The bridge opening split the motorcade in two, much to the consternation of security staff. A spokesman for Tower Bridge is quoted as saying: "We tried to contact the American Embassy, but they wouldn't answer the phone."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Shore |first=John |title=Gladys takes the rise out of Bill |journal=Regatta Online |issue=100 |date=July 1997 |url=http://www.rowingservice.com/regatta/100-gladys.html |access-date=25 September 2007 |archive-date=29 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529150019/http://www.rowingservice.com/regatta/100-gladys.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 19 August 1999, Jef Smith, a [[Freeman of the City of London]], drove a flock of two sheep across the bridge. He was exercising a claimed ancient permission, granted as a right to freemen, to make a point about the powers of older citizens and the way their rights were being eroded.<ref>{{cite news |title=Protest Freeman herds sheep over Tower Bridge |work=[[BBC News]] |date=19 August 1999 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/425364.stm |access-date=6 November 2009 |archive-date=3 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903070530/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/425364.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Before dawn on 31 October 2003, a [[Fathers 4 Justice]] campaigner climbed a {{convert|100|ft|adj=on}} <!--BBC news sources variously state 100, 120 and 150ft!--> [[tower crane]] near Tower Bridge at the start of a six-day protest dressed as [[Spider-Man]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Spiderman protest closes Tower Bridge |website=[[BBC News]] |date=31 October 2003 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3231281.stm |access-date=31 October 2008 |archive-date=11 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111122106/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3231281.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Fearing for his safety, and that of motorists should he fall, police cordoned off the area, closing the bridge and surrounding roads and causing widespread traffic congestion across the City and East London.<ref>{{cite news |title=Spiderman cordon criticised |website=[[BBC News]] |date=3 November 2003 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3236541.stm |access-date=31 October 2008 |archive-date=11 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111165057/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3236541.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title={{-'}}Spiderman' cleared over protest |website=[[BBC News]] |date=14 May 2004 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3715273.stm |access-date=31 October 2008 |archive-date=11 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111122117/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3715273.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 11 May 2009, six people were trapped and injured after a lift fell {{convert|10|ft|m|0}} inside the north tower.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8044164.stm |title=Six injured in Tower Bridge lift |website=[[BBC News]] |date=11 May 2009 |access-date=14 September 2020 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109041644/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8044164.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 9 August 2021, the bridge remained open after a technical failure.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58149716 |title=London's Tower Bridge stuck open after technical failure |website=[[BBC News]] |date=9 August 2021 |access-date=9 August 2021 |archive-date=9 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809160416/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58149716 |url-status=live }}</ref> The bridge had opened to let the [[Jubilee Sailing Trust|Jubilee Trust]] Tall Ship through from 2 p.m. before getting stuck.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/tower-bridge-stuck-open-technical-fault-traffic-uk-b949870.html |title=Tower Bridge is stuck open after technical fault |access-date=9 August 2021 |archive-date=9 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809150735/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/tower-bridge-stuck-open-technical-fault-traffic-uk-b949870.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/tower-bridge-live-updates-bridge-21265964 |title=Tower Bridge reopens after 11 hours of being stuck open because of technical fault |work=MyLondon |publisher=Reach plc |access-date=9 August 2021 |archive-date=9 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809143158/https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/tower-bridge-live-updates-bridge-21265964 |url-status=live }}</ref> The bridge was closed and reopened to traffic approximately 12 hours later.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58149716 |title=London's Tower Bridge reopens after technical failure |website=[[BBC News]] |date=9 August 2021 |access-date=10 August 2021 |archive-date=9 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809212714/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58149716 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|London}}
* [[List of bridges in London]]
* [[Crossings of the River Thames]]
* [[Moveable bridge#Types|Moveable bridges]]
* [[Pool of London]]

=== Historic places adjacent to Tower Bridge ===
* [[HMS Belfast|HMS ''Belfast'']]
* [[London Bridge]]
* [[Shad Thames]]
* [[St Katharine Docks]]
* [[Tower of London]]

{{comparison of notable bridges.svg}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|30em}}

=== Sources ===
==== Books ====
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Bamber |editor-first=Judith |title=Europe |publisher=Rough Guides |year=1998 |isbn=978-1-858-28348-7 |ref={{harvid|Rough Guides|1998}} |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B4eOeQqCsq8C |access-date=3 November 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210132744/https://books.google.com/books?id=B4eOeQqCsq8C |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |last=Bracken |first=G. Byrne |title=Walking Tour London: Sketches of the city's architectural treasures... Journey Through London's Urban Landscapes |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |year=2011 |isbn=978-9-814-43536-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Cohen |first=Robert D. |title=The History and Science of Elevation |publisher=Troubador Publishing |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-783-06325-3}}
* {{cite book |last1=Frommer |first1=Pauline |first2=Jason |last2=Cochran |title=Pauline Frommer's London |publisher=Frommer's |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-470-05228-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kIrim0i-VKoC |access-date=3 November 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210132744/https://books.google.com/books?id=kIrim0i-VKoC |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |last1=Jepson |first1=Tim |last2=Porges |first2=Larry |title=London Book of Lists. The City's Best, Worst, Oldest, Greatest, and Quirkiest |year=2014 |publisher=[[National Geographic Society]] |isbn=9781426213823}}
* {{cite book |last=Jones |first=Nigel R. |title=Architecture of England, Scotland, and Wales |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-313-31850-4}}
* {{cite book |last1=Langmead |first1=Donald |last2=Garnaut |first2=Christine |title=Encyclopedia of Architectural and Engineering Feats |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofar0000lang |url-access=registration |publisher=[[ABC-Clio]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-576-07112-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Milne |first=Gustav |title=The Thames at War: Saving London From the Blitz |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BaYvEAAAQBAJ |publisher=Pen and Sword |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-526-7-6805-6 |access-date=3 November 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210132744/https://books.google.com/books?id=BaYvEAAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |last=Peacock |first=Chris |title=10 Amazing Bridges |publisher=Andrews UK Limited |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-849-89386-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f0e2BAAAQBAJ |chapter=Tower Bridge, London |pages=24–26 |access-date=3 November 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210132744/https://books.google.com/books?id=f0e2BAAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |last=Roberts |first=Christ |title=Cross River Traffic: A History of London's Bridges |publisher=Granta Books |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-862-07800-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Robins |first=Chris |title=The Ships That Came to the Pool of London: From the Roman Galley to HMS Belfast |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HWAuDwAAQBAJ |publisher=Amberley Publishing |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-445-66462-0 |access-date=3 November 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210132744/https://books.google.com/books?id=HWAuDwAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |last=Shaw |first=Michael |title=No.1 Squadron |page=157 |publisher=Ian Allan |year=1986 |isbn=9780711015814}}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=Denis |title=Civil Engineering Heritage: London and the Thames Valley |publisher=Thomas Telford |year=2001 |isbn=0-7277-2876-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=Hubert Shirley |title=The World's Great Bridges |page=153 |publisher=Phoenix House |year=1953}}
* {{cite book |last1=Spencer-Silver |first1=Patricia |last2=Stephens |first2=John Hall |title=Tower Bridge to Babylon: The Life and Work of Sir John Jackson, Civil Engineer |publisher=Six Martlets Publishing for the Newcomen Society |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-954-48561-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Stewart |first=Oliver |title=Of Flight and Flyers – An Aerospace Anthology |year=1964 |page=40 |publisher=Newnes}}
* {{cite book |last=Wade |first=John |title=The Ingenious Victorians: Weird and Wonderful Ideas from the Age of Innovation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DXGrDAAAQBAJ |publisher=Pen and Sword |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-473-84902-0 |access-date=3 November 2021 |archive-date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407103330/https://books.google.com/books?id=DXGrDAAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}
{{london encyclopedia}}
* {{cite book |last1=Welch |first1=Charles |last2=Barry |first2=John Wolfe |last3=Benham |first3=William |title=History of the Tower Bridge and of Other Bridges Over the Thames Built by the Corporation of London: Including an Account of the Bridge House Trust from the Twelfth Century |url=https://archive.org/details/historyoftowerbr00welcuoft |publisher=Smith, Elder and Company |year=1894}}
{{refend}}

==== Journals ====
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite journal |title=Tower Bridge |journal=Archive – the Quarterly Journal for British Industrial and Transport History |volume=<!--1--> |issue=3 |year=1994 |publisher=Lightmoor Press |issn=1352-7991 |ref={{harvid|Tower Bridge|1994}}}}
* {{cite journal |editor-last=Winchester |editor-first=Clarence |date=13 July 1937 |title=Building the Tower Bridge |volume=1 |issue=20 |url=http://wondersofworldengineering.com/tower-bridge.html |journal=Wonders of World Engineering |pages=575–580 |place=London |publisher=Amalgamated Press |access-date=30 August 2013 |archive-date=12 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412121923/http://wondersofworldengineering.com/tower-bridge.html |url-status=live}}
{{refend}}

==== Television ====
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite episode |title=Tower Bridge |series=[[Britain's Best Buildings]] |last=Cruickshank |first=Dan |author-link=Dan Cruickshank |season=1 |number=1 |network=[[BBC]] |date=2 November 2002 |ref={{harvid|Britain's Best Buildings|2002}}}}
* {{cite episode |title=Tower Bridge: Gateway to London |series=London's Greatest Bridges |season=1 |number=2 |first=Rob |last=Bell |network=[[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]] |date=13 January 2021 |url=https://www.my5.tv/show/london-s-greatest-bridges/season-1/london-s-greatest-bridges-9c1804ff-1237-480c-86db-afce65aa885d |author-link=Rob Bell (TV presenter) |ref={{harvid|London's Greatest Bridges|2021}} |access-date=3 November 2021 |archive-date=29 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240929054438/https://www.channel5.com/geo-restriction.html |url-status=live }}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Tower Bridge}}
* {{Official website|http://www.towerbridge.org.uk|name=Official Tower Bridge Exhibition website}}
* [http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-times/ Bridge Lift Times]
* Video showing [https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/tours/behind-the-scenes-personal-guided/ the interior of a bascule chamber] as the bridge lifts

{{Crossings navbox
|structure = [[Crossings of the River Thames|Crossings]]
|place = [[River Thames]]
|bridge = Tower Bridge<br />[[British national grid reference system|Grid reference]]: {{gbm4ibx|TQ336802}}
|upstream = [[Tower Subway]] (utility tunnel – not accessible to the public)<br />[[Northern line]] (City Branch) tunnel (rail)
|downstream = [[Thames Tunnel]] (railway)|location=TQ336802
}}
{{Navboxes|list1=
{{Bridges of Central London}}
{{LB Tower Hamlets}}
{{London Borough of Southwark}}
{{London history}}
{{London landmarks}}
}}

{{Authority control}}
<!--please leave in both this category and the visitor attractions category. Tower Bridge contains a museum, but the museum isn't the main reason why it is a visitor attraction.-->

[[Category:Bascule bridges in England]]
[[Category:Bridges across the River Thames]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1894]]
[[Category:Grade I listed bridges in London]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in the London Borough of Southwark]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets]]
[[Category:Museums in the London Borough of Southwark]]
[[Category:Museums in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets]]
[[Category:Road bridges in England]]
[[Category:Steam museums in London]]
[[Category:Suspension bridges in London]]
[[Category:Technology museums in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Tower of London]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Southwark]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in London]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in the London Borough of Southwark]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets]]
[[Category:Privately owned public spaces]]
[[Category:1894 establishments in England]]