The last of the scaffolding being used on Sir Robert McAlpine's scheme to refurbish Big Ben was slotted into place last week at a cost of £3.5m.
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The approximate fee value for the scaffolding construction and PCSA is £3.5m. The conservation of the Elizabeth Tower as a whole is expected to cost £29m. In addition to the scaffolding contract, Sir Robert McAlpine Special Projects Division has also been awarded the PCSA for the remainder of the conservation works.
What is officially known as the Great Clock of Westminster was surrounded by scaffolding in 2017 for crews to not only work on rehabbing the exterior but also attend to the massive mechanisms that power the four-faced clock.
In December 2021, after four years of renovations and restoration, the tower emerged from behind its scaffolding in time for the ringing in of the new year. In April 2022, the gantry supporting the scaffolding was removed, leaving the tower free of scaffolding.
There is no Big Ben and Parliament entry fee as such because the entry inside the Big Ben tower is not allowed for the tourists except the ones who are UK residents. However, the area around Big Ben is accessible to the public and the view of the tower can be enjoyed free of cost.
The damage was repaired at the time, but in major refurbishment from 2017 it was found that the tower had sustained greater damage than originally thought, and asbestos, lead paint and broken glass were discovered, increasing the refurbishment cost from an estimated £29m to nearly £80m.
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On 21 August 2017, Big Ben's chimes were silenced for four years to allow essential restoration work to be carried out on the tower. The decision to silence the bells was made to protect the hearing of the workers on the tower, and drew much criticism from senior MPs and Prime Minister Theresa May.
The ceremony at the top of the Elizabeth Tower – popularly known as Big Ben – was preceded by traditional bagpipe music and an evergreen bough was attached to the scaffolding by the building and civil engineering company delivering the conservation project, Sir Robert McAlpine Special Projects Ltd.
The London clock tower, Big Ben was rotated by a quarter, causing the hammer to strike a different place of the bell. Meanwhile, the hammer was lightened to prevent further damage. The bell has sounded at a slightly different pitch ever since, and the crack has never been repaired.
The clock tower – colloquially known as Big Ben after its massive bell – has been slightly off center since it was erected in the mid-19th century. Like many old buildings, its position has been shifting imperceptibly for years due to environmental factors such as seasonal temperature and moisture level changes.
1716: The bell from the clock tower is recast and later hung in the South West Tower of St Paul's Cathedral. If Big Ben is ever unable to strike, the bell in St Paul's is heard instead.