The City of London Corporation will consider a proposal to spend around GBP 1 million inserting glass panels into the upper walkways of Tower Bridge to enable visitors to watch bridge lifts in progress. The walkways, which are 140 feet above the river, are part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition visitor attraction.
Plans to insert glass panels into the upper walkways of Tower Bridge to enable visitors to watch bridge lifts in progress are expected to be endorsed very soon by the culture, heritage and libraries committee of the City of London Corporation.
The walkways, which are 140 feet above the river, are part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition visitor attraction.
The City of London Corporation will consider a proposal to spend around GBP 1 million inserting glass panels into the upper walkways, which will require planning and listed building consent from both Southwark Council and the borough of Tower Hamlets. If permission is granted, the glass floor could be in place for summer 2014.
Each year around 520,000 people visit the walkways at the top of the bridge and the City corporation expects visitor numbers to rise by 5-10% if the glass panels are installed. Admission charges will be raised by GBP 1 to help meet the cost of the project.
Together with an increase in the number of corporate events, the corporation hopes to recoup the cost of the glass panels within two years.
The glass panels will be positioned to allow visitors with vertigo to walk to one side of the clear sections.
Alternative proposals to build a modern glass link bridge mid-way between the two walkways had been criticized by English Heritage and were unlikely to gain consent.