For the second time within a year, the London landmark Tower Bridge stuck open due to a technical failure

For the second time within a year, after a mechanical failure in August 2020, the world-famous, landmark, London Tower Bridge remained stuck open again on  August 10^th, with cars and pedestrians unable to cross.

The police of the City of London announced in a tweet that the bridge experienced a technical failure again; i.e., the bascules stuck in an upright position after being opened to allow a tall ship to pass through. Bascules are the movable sections of road on the bridge that can be raised and lowered using counterweights. According to the Tower Bridge tourism website, the bridge opens up about 800 times a year.

The technical fault resulted in long lines of traffic across the city, with pedestrians having to find other ways to get across the river. The City of London police urged people to avoid the area.

Spanning the River Thames, the 787-foot-long landmark was completed in 1894. Once powered by steam, the hydraulic bascules have been driven by oil and electricity since 1976. Tower Bridge is a popular tourist attraction, and visitors can stroll along the walkways connecting the two towers. The walkways were originally open to the public, but they closed in 1910. They reopened in the 1980s as an exhibition space.