Tower Bridge

One of London's best known landmarks has been proudly controlling the Port of London since its completion in 1884. When it was constructed, the bulk of the traffic crossing the River Thames was horse drawn which posed little threat to this most imposing of structures. Over the intervening years, however, the bridge has been subjected not only to ever larger volumes of traffic but more importantly, vehicles with a much higher loading capacity. Thermal movement and possibly the vibration caused by the traffic have combined to pose a threat to some individual parts of the bridge. Substantial cracking of the cast iron lamp stand supports was posing a threat to their structural integrity. Modern technology has come to the rescue of these irreplaceable lamps, unique to the Tower Bridge.