Europe

Britain's Parliament Building Needs A Renovation — But At What Cost?

U.K. lawmakers need to decide when and how their deteriorating Parliament building will be repaired. The project will cost billions and take years.

Britain's Parliament Building Needs A Renovation — But At What Cost?
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Big Ben needs a facelift.

Britain's Parliament building, which includes the famously named bell and its clock tower, desperately needs a renovation

Its structure remains sound, but its inner workings — dating back to World War II — might be dangerous.

But the project will cost billions of dollars and could force legislators out for years. 

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Cost estimates for the project range from $4.4 billion to more than $7 billion, depending on how U.K. lawmakers choose to respond. 

If lawmakers completely move out of Parliament for roughly six years, the cost will be on the lower end of that estimate. If they stay, the cost will be higher, and the project could take up to 32 years to complete.