Tower Bridge England

From one historical landmark to another, this time we head to Europe, England to be exact. In the 19th century, London Bridge was the only way of crossing the Thames river. As London grew, more bridges were added on the west side of London Bridge. The east side however become a busy port and it quickly became apparent that a new bridge was needed. Planning started in 1884 when a design was chosen from over 50 submissions. It took 8 years, 432 workers, and over 11,000 tons of steel to build what we know now as Tower Bridge. The Prince of Wales opened the bridge in 1894 and It helped relieve the stress of the east side. The bridge would become one of the worlds most recognized bridges due to it s iconic design. It has 2 towers at the ends of each bank. The middle section of the bridge can raise up and down, to let ships sail past, which is done with the use of hydraulics. The bridge is not only an icon of London, but to the whole of the U.K.