Travel Network

The news of a permanent barrier solution around The Eiffel Tower was broken on LeParisien last week. The solution is a 2.5 meter high ballistic glass wall which will replace the temporary fence currently surrounding the monument.  The project is estimated to cost €20,000,000 which is significantly more than the current chain link fence.

Increase Security Around Eiffel Tower

The map above shows the size of the area the glass wall will protect.  While most agree that it will significantly increase the security to the area it may cause inconvenience for travellers who are just hoping to drop by for a quick selfie under the tower.  There is also concerns that the glass walls might turn the location into a fortress that might discourage some of the 6 million people that currently visit each year.

The wall will also have the positive effect of better management of the flow of people visiting the location so in the long term it might be a better solution as it protects the surrounding area.  Deputy mayor Jean-Francois Martins said that visitors will still have free access to the foot of the tower after undergoing security checks.

The project is due to begin construction by the end of 2017, and is just the start of a 15 year €300,000,000 renovation project for the whole Eiffel Tower.