London — London’s Tower Bridge was stuck with its roadway arms raised at about 14:30 BST on Monday, snarling traffic on both sides of the River Thames.
The city of London Police said the 127-year-old crossing was closed “due to technical failure”.
Drivers – and pedestrians – have been warned to avoid the area.
The bridge opens about 800 times a yr to permit large ships to pass, with the times arranged at least 24 hours in advance.
Tower Bridge was repaired in 2006 after the mechanism became stuck 4 times the previous yr. Malfunctions have been less frequent since then, with the last incident reported on Aug. 22, 2020, when it was stuck for more than an hour.
A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation, which manages the bridge, said investigations into the failure were taking place but the source of the fault was currently unknown.
“We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible,” they added.
