Tower Bridge stuck open, causing traffic chaos

The bridge failed to close after opening to let a ship pass

Reuters Tower Bridge stuck open — The bridge failed to close after opening to let a ship pass

Tower Bridge was stuck open for more than an hour, leaving hundreds of people and vehicles stranded in central London.

The famous crossing failed to close after allowing a ship to pass along the River Thames on Saturday afternoon.

Pictures show queues of motorists and pedestrians forming on both sides.

City of London Police said engineers rushed to fix the bridge. It has reopened to pedestrians but motorists have been urged to find another route.

A witness said they overheard talk of "multiple failures" on security radios.

Traffic was gridlocked on both sides of the famous structure

PA Media Gridlocked traffic — Traffic was gridlocked on both sides of the famous structure

One social media user said: "I've been stuck here for nearly an hour now..." while another wrote: "Yep, Tower Bridge definitely stuck! One side started to come down but the other didn't!"

The bridge connects the Square Mile financial district to Southwark.

PA Media Traffic queuing behind the locked gates of Tower Bridge

In 2005, police closed the bridge for 10 hours after a technical problem meant the arms could not be lowered.

A Tower Bridge spokesman has been approached for comment.