London’s famous Tower Bridge has been stuck open for hours due to a technical fault, leading to traffic jams on the streets on both sides of the River Thames.

The bridge, which allows boats to pass underneath by raising the road which crosses it, got stuck shortly before 2.45pm Monday (local time), a spokeswoman for the City of London police force said.

Images taken from the scene show traffic built up on both sides of the Tower Bridge, which is owned, funded and managed by the City of London Corporation.

“Due to a technical issue, Tower Bridge is currently stuck in a raised position,” a City of London Corporation spokesman said.

“We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”

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Images from a live camera on another London landmark, The Shard skyscraper, showed the two sides of the crossing rejoin at about midnight on Monday.

Since 1976, the bridge’s two arms, or bascules, have been operated by engines powered by oil and electricity. They replaced steam-powered ones that dated back to the 19th century.

It is the second time in a year that the bridge has had a similar issue. In August 2020, it was closed for more 24 hours when its bascules jammed in an open position.

Tower Bridge is one several bridges over the River Thames that connect central and southern parts of the British capital.

Monday’s issues caused traffic problems for several hours, with images from the scene showing traffic built up on both sides of the bridge.

City of London Police, which patrols the area, urged the public to avoid the area.

-with AAP