London's Tower Bridge to undergo repairs, troubling motorists

LONDON - The famous London bridge Tower Bridge spanning the Thames needs repairs because the traffic sensors with which it is equipped are causing problems for drivers. The AP agency reported this today citing an official source. The city administration, which owns the bridge, allocated £20,000 for the replacement of poorly functioning components, which amounts to over 840,000 crowns.
City technical services director Philip Everett assured that the operation of the bridge will be maintained despite the repairs. As he stated, "it's nothing fundamental, just about getting the system to work properly."
Due to technical problems, the lifting arms of the bridge, which open to allow tall vessels to pass beneath the roadway, have gotten stuck in the raised position four times a year. The most dramatic moments occurred last June when the raised arms could not be lowered for a full nine hours. The result was unprecedented traffic chaos on both sides of the river.
An expert report prepared for the city administration identified overly active traffic sensors as the problem. The document states that the sensors installed in 2002 do not respond correctly, causing the hydraulic pumps that lift the arms to sometimes remain stuck in the raised position.
Every day, the 112-year-old Tower Bridge is used by about 40,000 motorists and pedestrians. Its arms rise approximately a thousand times a year to allow passing ships.