People relax in the hot and sunny weather on the grass beside Tower Bridge.

Gulf Today Report

A technical glitch forced London’s iconic Tower Bridge to be open for hours, putting the brakes on traffic in the city. This has happened for the second time this year.

Now it has reopened to traffic.

A landmark sign of London’s traditional past, the bridge was "stuck in a raised position”. Roads around the bridge, one of the key passages to cross the Thames river in central London, were closed to the public.

 Things normalised in the early hours of Tuesday after the crossing reopened.

For 45 years, engines powered by oil and electricity used to operate the bridge's two arms. The steam-powered ones that go back to the 19th century had become outdated.