The famous Big Ben, one of Britain's most important landmarks, will ring when midnight marks the start of a new year on New Year's Eve, for the first time since the disclosure of its new face from under the scaffolding during restoration work.
The renovation of the tower, known as the Elizabeth Tower, with a height of 96 meters, included its scaffolding during the last two years, while the four-hour facades are being re-polished, the metal parts are painted, and the brilliantly carved stone engravings on the tower are being repaired.
When part of the scaffolding was raised in March, it turned out that the numbers and the hands were repainted in blue after they were black, in line with what scientists describe as their original color.
Since the restoration work began in 2017, the Big Ben watch has stopped beating only in important events.
The last time the clock was ticking on November 11th is a commemoration of the soldiers who were killed in the line of duty in what is known as "Memorial Day."
Parliament said in a statement that the clock will be tested several times during the preparation for the New Year.
The restoration of the entire Elizabeth Tower is estimated to cost 61 million pounds ($ 79.78 million) and will include repair and remodeling, bringing the colors back to where they were in the original design of the tower.
The restoration work is scheduled for completion in 2021, and will be followed by a program to restore the entire British Parliament building at a cost of four billion pounds ($ 5.2 billion).