Editing Tower Bridge (section)

===21st century===
The bridge closed for a month in 2000 to repair the bascules and perform other maintenance.<ref>{{cite news |last=Waller |first=Martin |title=Tower Bridge stays down |newspaper=The Times |date=12 September 2000 |page=31 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/IF0501407652/TTDA?u=kccl&sid=TTDA&xid=5b7637b1 |access-date=14 September 2020 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=29 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240929053454/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=TTDA&u=kccl&id=GALE%7CIF0501407652&v=2.1&it=r&sid=TTDA&asid=5b7637b1 |url-status=live }}</ref> A computer system was installed to control the raising and lowering of the bascules remotely. However, the system proved unreliable, resulting in the bridge being stuck in the open or closed positions on several occasions during 2005 until its sensors were replaced.<ref name=BBCstickFix />

In April 2008, authorities announced that the bridge would undergo a £4&nbsp;million refurbishment that would take four years to complete. The work entailed stripping existing paint down to bare metal and repainting in blue and white.<ref name=truecolours /><ref name="finishingtouches" /> Before this, the bridge's colour scheme dated from 1977, when it was painted red, white, and blue for [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]]'s [[Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Silver Jubilee]]. Its colours were subsequently restored to blue and white.<ref name=truecolours>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thetowerbridge.info/diary/tower-bridge-restored-to-true-colours.html |title=Tower Bridge restored to true colours |website=Tower Bridge Restoration |date=10 March 2010 |access-date=8 February 2017 |publisher=Harris Digital Productions |archive-date=18 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418064211/http://www.thetowerbridge.info/diary/tower-bridge-restored-to-true-colours.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="finishingtouches">{{Cite web |url=http://www.thetowerbridge.info/diary/finishing-touches-to-tower-bridge.html |title=Finishing touches to Tower Bridge |website=Tower Bridge Restoration |access-date=8 February 2017 |publisher=Harris Digital Productions |archive-date=18 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418080041/http://www.thetowerbridge.info/diary/finishing-touches-to-tower-bridge.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Each section was enshrouded in scaffolding and plastic sheeting to prevent the old paint falling into the Thames and causing pollution. Starting in mid-2008, contractors worked on a quarter of the bridge at a time to minimise disruption, but some road closures were inevitable. The completed work should stand for 25 years.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tower Bridge to get £4m facelift |website=[[BBC News]] |date=7 April 2008 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7335380.stm |access-date=8 April 2008 |archive-date=12 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412010948/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7335380.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The renovation of the walkway interior was completed in mid-2009. The renovation of the four suspension chains was completed in March 2010 using a state-of-the-art coating system requiring up to six different layers of paint.<ref name=truecolours /> A lighting system based on [[RGB LED]] [[luminaire]]s was installed, concealed within the bridge superstructure, and attached without drilling holes, owing to the bridge's Grade I listing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tower Bridge lighting |work=Interior Event & Exhibition Lighting Design scheme |publisher=ES Lighting Design |date=29 April 2009 |url=http://www.eslightingdesign.co.uk/commercial/london-tower-bridge.aspx |access-date=27 August 2009 |archive-date=11 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911111602/http://eslightingdesign.co.uk/commercial/london-tower-bridge.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Chithrubar.jpg|thumb|Tower Bridge with Olympic Rings during the [[2012 London Olympics]]]]

On 8 July 2012, as part of the [[2012 Summer Olympics|London Olympics]], the west walkway was transformed into a {{convert|200|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} Live Music Sculpture by the British composer Samuel Bordoli. Thirty classical musicians were arranged along the length of the bridge {{convert|42|m|ft|0|order=flip}} above the Thames behind the Olympic rings. The sound travelled backward and forwards along the walkway, echoing the structure of the bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classicfm.com/music-news/latest-news/tower-bridge-londons-latest-venue/ |title=Tower Bridge is London's Latest Venue |website=Classic FM |access-date=28 May 2013 |archive-date=25 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725151304/http://www.classicfm.com/music-news/latest-news/tower-bridge-londons-latest-venue/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classical-music.com/news/tower-bridge-musical-instrument |title=Tower Bridge as a musical instrument |publisher=Classical-Music.com |access-date=28 May 2013 |archive-date=23 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223222339/http://www.classical-music.com/news/tower-bridge-musical-instrument |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Following the Olympics, the rings were removed from Tower Bridge and replaced by the [[Paralympic symbols#Current|emblem]] of the [[Paralympic Games]] for the [[2012 Summer Paralympics]].<ref name=guardian-paraprep>{{cite news |title=London 2012: let the Paralympics preparations begin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/aug/13/london-2012-paralympic-preparations-begin?newsfeed=true |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=18 August 2012 |first=Alexandra |last=Topping |date=13 August 2012 |archive-date=2 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502185715/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/aug/13/london-2012-paralympic-preparations-begin?newsfeed=true |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2016, Tower Bridge was closed to all road traffic from 1 October to 30 December.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events/tower-bridge-closure |title=Tower Bridge closure |publisher=Transport for London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011071655/https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events/tower-bridge-closure |archive-date=11 October 2016 }}</ref> This was to allow structural maintenance work to take place on the timber decking, lifting mechanism and waterproofing the brick arches on the bridge's approaches. During this, the bridge was still open to waterborne traffic. It was open to pedestrians for all but three weekends when a free ferry service was in operation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-37529331 |title=Tower Bridge closes until December for maintenance work |website=[[BBC News]] |date=1 October 2016 |access-date=28 January 2020 |archive-date=29 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129024802/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-37529331 |url-status=live }}</ref>