Construction beginning in 1886 with completion in 1894, it took eight years, five contractors and 432 construction workers to build the Tower Bridge. One of the most well-known and visited monuments of Victorian architecture
Two massive piers were sunk into the river bed to support the construction and over 11,000 tons of steel provided the framework for the Towers and Walkways. This framework was clad in Cornish granite and Portland stone to protect the underlying steelwork and to give the Bridge a more pleasing appearance.