Why is Tower Bridge the only one that opens?

The Bridge is bound by an Act of Parliament to give river traffic priority over road traffic, which can sometimes be frustrating to car drivers stuck in rush hour traffic! The Tower Bridge Act of 1885 also states that the Bridge is to be opened free of charge for river traffic.



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East Londoners have to commute longer compared to West Londoners just to get above the bridge. However, East London has always been more sparsely populated compared to West London. Therefore, it has never been necessary or a top priority to construct another bridge in the east.

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London is a city of bridges where the past, present and future living together in peace.

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Despite many structural failures, the London Bridge never really 'fell down'. The old bridge built in 1209 lasted for 600 years. Eventually, it underwent demolition in 1831, after the new London Bridge was formed.

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In 1962, it was discovered that the London Bridge was falling down. It was sinking into the Thames because it was not adequate for the increase in London traffic across it. Robert McCulloch a Lake Havasu businessman learned that the British Government was putting the bridge up for sale.

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The eighth Thames bridge to be built in what is now Greater London, Richmond Bridge is currently the oldest surviving bridge over the Thames in Greater London, and the oldest Thames bridge between the sea and Abingdon Bridge in Oxfordshire.

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There are pedestrian footpaths on either side of the bridge, so even at night it is fine to walk over it to North London and Tower Hill.

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Once the key crossing point of the Thames River, the bridge was built in 1209 to replace the original Roman crossing built in 50. It remained in use for over 600 years, before being demolished in the 19th century to provide access for river traffic.

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