Tower Bridge will remain stuck open overnight, and could cause further traffic problems on Tuesday after a technical fault forced it to close to the public and motorists. The London landmark, one of several bridges over the River Thames that connects central and southern parts of the city, was scheduled to open on Monday afternoon to allow a large wooden tall ship to pass through. But the 127-year-old bridge had been closed to traffic and pedestrians after a “technical failure” left its bascules unable to close properly and stuck in their raised position from around 3pm. The issue caused traffic problems for several hours which only largely managed to be resolved by around 9pm, according to Transport for London travel updates. Images from the scene on Monday afternoon showed long lines of traffic built up on both sides of the bridge, which is owned, funded and managed by the City of London Corporation. A spokesperson for the corporation told PA Media: “Due to a technical issue, Tower Bridge is currently stuck in a raised position. We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.” It is not known how long the bridge will be stuck for. City of London police urged the public to avoid the area. The force said in a tweet: “Tower Bridge is currently closed to traffic and pedestrians due to technical failure. Please avoid the areas. Updates to follow.” Tower Bridge was built in the Victorian period and is considered one of the most famous bridges in the world. Connecting the Square Mile to Southwark, it opened in 1894 after eight years of construction. Its bascules are typically raised about 800 times a year. Tower Bridge was previously closed to the public last August after a “mechanical failure” meant it was stuck open for more than an hour. Engineers fixed it and it reopened to motorists the next day. In 2005, police closed the bridge for 10 hours after a technical problem meant the arms could not be lowered.