Tower Bridge Dimensions: Span & Deck Height

London's Iconic Bascule Bridge by the Numbers

• Main Span (between towers): 250 ft (76.2 m)
• Deck Height (above high water): 135 ft (41.1 m)
• Total Length: 800 ft (244 m)
• Tower Height: 213 ft (65 m) above foundation
• Bascules: Each 1,000 tons, raised in 5 minutes (originally steam, now electro-hydraulic)

Engineering Context

Designed by Horace Jones and John Wolfe Barry (1886–1894). The high clearance allowed tall-masted ships to reach the Pool of London. The bascule design—counterweighted leaves pivoting on trunnions—was chosen over a fixed high bridge to avoid steep approach gradients for horse-drawn traffic.