London's Big Ben now able to withstand forces of Mother Nature following restoration project
The repair project is estimated to cost more than $100 million and likely won't be finished until after memorial services are held for Queen Elizabeth II.
LONDON – A five-year restoration project meant to ensure Big Ben is able to withstand the forces of Mother Nature is nearing completion in London as crews begin testing to guarantee the giant clock keeps up with time.
A combination of wear and tear, weather and pollution caused the U.K. government to embark on the most extensive restoration project in the tower's 162-year history.
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.
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Image 1 of 5LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 20: Workers remove sections of scaffolding surrounding Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, as renovation works continue on December 20, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)
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Image 2 of 5The Union flag flutters in front of the Big Ben clock-face located in the Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster in central London on March 25, 2021. - Under new guidance from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Union flag is to be flown on UK Government buildings every day in a bid to unite the nation. Curently, Union flags are only required to be flown on UK Government buildings on designated days. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
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Image 3 of 5LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 20: People walk along Westminster Bridge past The House of Parliament and Big Ben on February 20, 2021 in London, England. After a surge of covid-19 cases, fueled partly by a more infectious variant of the virus, the British government had reimposed nationwide lockdown measures across England. A review was held on February 15 and despite deaths and infections falling, lockdown will continue. (Photo by Jo Hale/Getty Images)
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Image 4 of 5LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Two of the clock faces on Queen Elizabeth Tower, commonly referred to as Big Ben, are seen as renovation work nears completion, on January 05, 2022 in London, England. Parliament reconvenes today following the Christmas recess. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
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Image 5 of 5LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - SEPTEMBER 10: A photo shows the restored clock face on Elizabeth Tower, displaying the original Prussian blue color of the hands, on September 10, 2021 in London, United Kingdom. 96-metre-tall Elizabeth Tower also known as Big Ben, has been under restoration work since 2017 as it was discovered that its clock hands were originally blue instead of black. (Photo by Hasan Esen/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
A spokesperson for the U.K. Parliament said over 1,000 components were removed and fine-tuned by clock experts.
The extensive conservation project even included removing the famous dials that measure upwards of 14 feet and repairing and reglazing them to withstand London's weather extremes.
A goal of the project is to keep London's nearly 25 inches of annual rain out of the building, which, unfortunately, a spokesperson said has found ways to seep into the tower.
Experts say the replacement of more than 400 cast iron roof tiles, as well as other masonry work in the 315-foot structure, should help prevent future water intrusion.
In addition to Mother Nature, pollution is also said to have taken a bite out of the tower's luster over the decades.
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A parliament spokesperson created air pollution for eating away at the tower's original limestone, which caused the need for hundreds of pieces of replacement stone.
Pollution is also blamed for even eroding away intricate carvings by one of the tower's original architects.
During the multi-year project, officials estimate more than 700 pieces of stone were replaced in the London landmark.
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Crews recently connected the tower's final dial to the giant clock mechanism, and all four sides are now believed to be functioning properly.
"The conservation project remains on schedule. In the coming months, the bells – including Big Ben itself – will be connected to the clock mechanism and will ring out permanently," Lorcan O'Donoghue, a U.K. parliament spokesperson, said.
The over $100 million restoration project is not expected to be complete before memorial services are held for Queen Elizabeth II.
The UK parliament said restoration of the tower is in its final stages and could be finished in October with the return of Big Ben’s infamous sounds around the same time period.
Tours of Elizabeth Tower are expected to reopen to visitors in spring 2023.