Before-and-After Photos Showing How Much Our World Has Changed

London Tower Bridge 1893/today

Built between 1886 and 1894, the bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London. It’s become an iconic symbol for the country, but it can often be confused with the London Bridge.

The bridge is now owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust which is overseen by the City of London Corporation. The bridge consists of two bridge towers tied together at the upper level by two horizontal walkways.

In April 2008, the bridge went under a big facelift. The work stripped off the existing paint down to bare metal with it being repainted in blue and white. The renovation of the walkway interior was completed in mid-2009.

Within the walkways, a versatile new lighting system was installed. The new system provides a great feature and atmospheric lighting. For the 2012 London Olympics, the bridge had a set of Olympic rings until the closing ceremonies.