Paris started work this week on a bullet-proof glass security wall around the Eiffel Tower, intended to make the area secure from attack.
The wall, announced some months ago, will cost €36 million and take nine months to complete. It will replace wire fencing installed a few months ago, after concerns that the tower might be an inviting target.
Although entry into the area under the tower will require visitors to go through bag and scanner tests, as they are already, access will not be limited to ticket buyers.
Also in the plans for the tower: a new two-year paint job starting next year, and construction of a new visitor center and ticket office to replace the kiosks scattered under the tower. Over 7 million visitors a year come to the tower, and even more are anticipated as Paris prepares to host the 2024 Olympics.
