8 Curiosities Of The London Tower Bridge
The British capital is a cosmopolitan city where they exist, with a bohemian touch that enchants everyone who visits it. There are many things to see in this city, but one of its best known images is that of Tower Bridge. Did you know that there are a lot of curiosities of the Tower Bridge in London that you surely did not know ? Well, today we are going to tell you about them!
With more than a century old, this bridge has gone through various stages that many are unaware of. Today we are going to reveal some and data that will surely catch your attention.
1. Curiosities of the Tower Bridge of London : its passage
A passageway was built on Tower Bridge in London that would remain open for people to cross and admire the bridge and the Thames. However, this did not seem to the liking of the people, who did not dare to use it, especially because it was full of prostitutes and pickpockets.
So, in 1910 it was closed due to lack of use. Who’d say! Today about five million people step on it every year. However, it was not reopened until 1982.
2. It was painted like the flag
In 1977, on the occasion of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth on the Throne, it was painted with the colors of the English flag : red, white and blue. Before that it was a chocolate color, and then it took on the color it is now.
3. Your measurements
Seeing a work as huge as the Tower Bridge in London, we can not help but wonder, how long will it be? Well, it measures 244 meters long, 7 meters wide and 65 meters high.
The articulated arms weigh about a thousand tons, which can be lifted in less than five minutes thanks to 6 energy accumulators that, with the counterweight of the bridge, can minimize the energy required and use it in lifting it at optimum performance.
4. It opens a thousand times
Another of the curiosities of the Tower Bridge of London is that it opens every year about a thousand times to let sailboats and boats pass.
These openings are scheduled in advance and you can see the opening hours in the tower itself or on its website. This way, you can stop by and see how it opens and closes. It is quite an incredible show, and free! Something weird in London …
5. The big leap
In 1952, while a bus with twelve passengers was passing over the bridge, something went wrong and it began to open. The driver reacted quickly and jumped to the other side.
They all ‘landed’ safe and sound and the driver was even rewarded for good reflexes and courage. Braking could have caused a huge disaster.
6. A little hand of paint
Londoners like to take care of what is theirs and that is why their monuments look as beautiful as the first day. Tower Bridge in London is painted every 25 years with about 22,000 liters of paint.
The last time it was done was in 2011, on the occasion of the Olympics and it took about three years to complete the ‘reform’. You won’t see the bridge full of scaffolding for this reason again until 2036.
7. The protagonist of the movies
The Tower Bridge in London has appeared in numerous films such as Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix , Sherlock Holmes , The Werewolf or in the series Friends , when Ross married in England. What do you remember now?
8. Added a motor
If Londoners have something, it is that they are farsighted. As World War II wreaked great havoc and they thought that at some point the bridge’s lift motors might be damaged, they decided to add a third motor and get well.
These have been the curiosities of the Tower Bridge in London that we could tell you. Surely when you go to visit you will have something to tell your companions. And, by the way, you must not only cross it, you must also visit it, on one of its walkways there is a glass floor, seeing from it how the arms go up and down is incredible.
