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Tower Bridge reopens after being stuck in upright position for nearly 12 hours

Tower Bridge in central London, which has been left open due to a technical fault, causing traffic problems in central London this afternoon. Picture date: Monday August 9, 2021. PA Photo. The bridge, one of several over the River Thames that connects central and southern parts of the capital, has been stuck for more than an hour. See PA story TRANSPORT Bridge. Photo credit should read: Ian West/PA Wire
Tower Bridge was stuck open for nearly 12 hours (Picture: PA)

Tower Bridge has reopened after being stuck in the open position for nearly 12 hours.

Images from The Shard skyscraper’s live camera facing east showed the two sides of the crossing rejoin at about midnight on Monday. It reopened to traffic at around 1.45am.

A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation, which owns and runs the bridge, had earlier said: ‘Due to a technical issue, Tower Bridge is currently stuck in a raised position.

‘We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.’

The fault meant the bridge’s bascules were unable to close properly, forcing them to stay open from around 3pm.

It caused traffic problems for several hours which only largely managed to resolve by around 9pm, according to Transport for London.

Images showed traffic built up in the afternoon on both sides of the bridge – which is owned, funded and managed by City of London Corporation.

Drivers and pedestrians had been warned to avoid the area.

A cyclist looks towards Tower Bridge while it is stuck in the open position, due to a technical fault, in London, Britain, August 9, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
The bridge first opened in 1894 (Picture: Reuters)
Fire bridge staff speak next to their fire engines parked on Tower Bridge on the River Thames in London, Monday Aug. 9, 2021. London's Tower Bridge was stuck with its roadway arms raised Monday afternoon, snarling traffic on both sides of the River Thames.(AP Photo/Tony Hicks)
Fire brigade staff speaking beside the closed Tower Bridge (Picture: AP)
A view of Tower Bridge on the River Thames in London stuck fully open on Monday Aug. 9, 2021. London's Tower Bridge was stuck with its roadway arms raised Monday afternoon, snarling traffic on both sides of the River Thames.(AP Photo/Tony Hicks)
It was stuck fully open on Monday (Picture: AP)

It’s not the first time traffic in that part of London has ground to a halt because of a mechanic fault on the bridge.

The same happened in August 2020 when famous bridge’s arms, known as bascules, failed to close having allowed a ship to pass through along the River Thames on a busy Saturday afternoon.

The bridge, which opened in 1894, normally opens about 800 times a year.

Prior to lockdown, more than 40,000 cars passed across it every day.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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