Tower Bridge
bascule and suspension bridge in London / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quick Facts Coordinates, Carries ...
Tower Bridge | |
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Coordinates | 51°30′20″N 0°04′31″W |
Carries | 2 lanes of A100 Tower Bridge Road, cyclists, and pedestrians |
Crosses | River Thames |
Locale | London boroughs: – north side: Tower Hamlets – south side: Southwark |
Maintained by | Bridge House Estates |
Heritage status | Grade I listed structure |
Preceded by | London Bridge |
Followed by | Queen Elizabeth II Bridge |
Characteristics | |
Design | Bascule bridge / Suspension Bridge |
Total length | 801 ft (244 m) |
Height | 213 ft (65 m) |
Longest span | 270 ft (82.3 m) |
Clearance below | 28 ft (8.6 m) (closed) 139 ft (42.5 m) (open) (mean high water spring tide) |
History | |
Opened | 30 June 1894; 129 years ago (1894-06-30) |
Location | |
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Tower Bridge is a drawbridge in London. It crosses the River Thames near the Tower of London. It allows ships through the bridge deck when is raised at an angle in the centre.
The north side of the bridge is Tower Hill, and the south side of the bridge comes down into Bermondsey, an area in Southwark. Tower Bridge 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 83o from the horizontal.