London's iconic Tower Bridge to close for 3 months for major facelift

London's world famous Tower Bridge, one of the capital's most iconic and most familiar sights, is to close for three months on Oct. 1, the City of London Corporation announced Thursday.

The closure to all road traffic will enable important structural repair and maintenance works to take place on the 122-year-old drawbridge.

To the joy of tourists from around the world who include Tower Bridge on their must-see list, the bridge will remain open to pedestrians every day, except for three weekends during the closure period.

During the closures to pedestrians, a free ferry service across the River Thames close to Tower Bridge will be provided.

The corporation said the work will help ensure the bridge's smooth operation for decades to come. The viewing gallery along the walkways of the bridge will remain open to visitors for the entirety of the works, and exhibitions will continue as planned.

A spokesman for the City of London Corporation said it will be working closely with Transport for London (TfL) and the London Boroughs of Southwark and Tower Hamlets to minimize the disruption the closure will cause.

Every day more than 40,000 people cross over Tower Bridge, including 21,000 vehicles, making it a critical connection in crossing the Thames.

The corporation spokesman added: "This daily heavy use has had an effect on the timber decking of the bridge, which was last refurbished in the 1970s."

The work on the bridge will be paid for by a charitable trust tasked with maintaining five bridges that cross the Thames.

Chris Hayward, chairman of the corporation's planning and transport committee, said Thursday: "This decision to close Tower Bridge has not been taken lightly, and this course of action has been taken after extensive consultation and planning."

"We will use this time to repair, refurbish, and upgrade London's most iconic bridge, which has gone without significant engineering works for more than 35 years," he added. Enditem