Images from a live camera showed on Tuesday night how the wings of the bridge in the center of the British capital finally lowered again around midnight. The cause of the error was initially unknown.
“Tower Bridge is currently closed to traffic and pedestrians due to a technical error,” the City of London Police announced on Monday afternoon. Traffic across the Thames was interrupted, and traffic jammed for hours on both sides of the bank.
Most recently, in August 2020, a mechanical error ensured that the bridge was open for around an hour. This time it took significantly longer to solve the problem. In 2005, Tower Bridge had to be closed for ten hours because the wings could not be closed.
Tower Bridge opened in 1894 and is one of the most famous landmarks in London. It usually opens around 800 times a year – i.e. around twice a day – for ships. They must apply for opening at least 24 hours in advance in writing.