Tower Bridge as its northern landfall is in Tower Hamlets. The bridge consists of two bridge towers tied together at the upper level by two horizontal walkways, designed to withstand the horizontal tension forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge on the landward sides of the towers. The vertical components of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower. Before its restoration in the 2010s, the bridge's colour scheme dated from 1977, when
Bridge House Estates cannot be an Alderman. The chairmanship is held for only one year as the responsibilities are so onerous. In addition to its Royal Charter of 1282, the Bridge House Estates operates with respect to various legislative powers e.g. the "Blackfriars Bridge Act 1863", the "Blackfriars and Southwark Bridge Act 1867", the "Corporation of London (Tower Bridge) Act 1885" for its maintenance role and for its general charitable role under the "Charities (The Bridge House Estates) Order 1995" (Statutory Instrument 1047), and the "Charities (The Bridge House Estates) Order 2001" (Statutory Instrument 4017). Originally funded by tolls on London Bridge, the