Chaos reigned on the streets of London for hours, but the reason was now resolved: Tower Bridge, whose wings could no longer be lowered, was closed again.
The famous bridge tower in London It can only be closed again after hours due to a technical defect. Pictures taken with a live camera on Tuesday night showed how the wings of the bridge in the center of the British capital finally descended again at around midnight. The cause of the error was initially unknown.
“Tower Bridge is currently closed to traffic and pedestrians due to a technical error,” City of London Police said on Monday afternoon. Traffic across the Thames came to a standstill, and traffic jams for hours on both sides of the bank.
Broken Tower Bridge in London: Due to a technical error, the bridge is currently closed to traffic and pedestrians. (Source: Henry Nichols/Reuters)
Recently, in August 2020, a mechanical error occurred that ensured that the bridge was open for about an hour. This time it took longer to solve the problem. In 2005, the bridge tower was closed for ten hours because the wings could not be closed.
Tower Bridge opened in 1894 and is one of London’s most famous landmarks. It usually opens about 800 times a year – about twice a day – for ships. They must apply for opening at least 24 hours in advance in writing.