World-famous London landmark Tower Bridge stuck open on Monday afternoon, leaving the cars and pedestrians stranded. The City of London police, in a tweet, confirmed that the bridge was stuck open due to a technical failure.

Various pictures and videos on social media showed the bascules stuck in an upright position. This happened after it was allowed to open up to allow a tall ship to pass through.

What are bascules?

Bascules are the non-stationary sections of a road on the bridge. It can be raised and lowered using counterweights.

The Tower Bridge opens about 800 times a year, the official website of the Tower Bridge said.

This prompted long lines of traffic across the city. Pedestrians, too, were stuck and had to find other ways to cross the rives, CNN reported.

The City of London police asked the commuters to avoid the area.

The landmark, which is 787-foot-long, was completed in 1984 and it spans across the River Thames. The hydraulic bascules, which once used to work on steam energy, are functional on oil and electricity since 1976.

This bridge is a popular tourist destination. It also witnesses visitors taking a stroll along the walkways connecting the two towers. While the walkways were originally public, it was shut in 1910. However, it reopened in the 1980s as an exhibition space, CNN reported.

Not the first time

The bridge was also stuck open on August 23, 2020. That time, too, the official bridge Twitter account blaming “mechanical failure.”

“The Bridge experienced technical issues this afternoon and was locked in a raised position for a period of time. It has now reopened. Thanks to all those who fixed it,” the bridge’s official handle had tweeted.

During the August episode, the traffic in the capital was gridlocked after the bascules failed to close. The traffic was stuck for at least an hour.