Tower Bridge

History

Why the bridge was needed, who designed it and when it opened.

The need for a new crossing

By the second half of the 19th century, London's population was growing fast, especially in the East End. Crossings east of London Bridge were few, and the streets leading to the existing bridges were badly congested. Any new bridge had to leave the river open to tall-masted ships heading for the busy wharves upstream, so a fixed bridge was not an option.

Designers

In 1876 the City of London Corporation began planning a new crossing, and a design competition drew many proposals. The design that was built combined the work of Horace Jones, the City Architect, and John Wolfe Barry, an engineer. Jones died in 1887, soon after construction began, and George Stevenson took over the architectural side of the project. Stevenson dressed the steel frame in the Gothic style so that the bridge would sit comfortably beside the Tower of London.

Construction

Building began in 1886 and took eight years. Two massive piers were sunk into the riverbed to carry the towers. A steel frame was erected on top of them and then clad in stone to protect the steelwork and give the bridge its historic look. Hundreds of workers were employed on the project.

Opening in 1894

Tower Bridge was opened on 30 June 1894 by the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII. It quickly became a busy route across the Thames.

Since opening