A bullet-proof glass wall is to be built around the base of the Eiffel Tower as part of a plan to provide extra protection against terrorist attacks at one of the world’s most famous landmarks. The eight-foot high wall will cost around €20 million (£17 million) and will replace the metal barriers set up as a temporary measure around the iconic tower during the Euro football tournament last summer. "We have three aims: improve the look, make access easier and strengthen the protection of visitors and staff," said Paris deputy mayor Jean-François Martins. He said the glass wall was part of an ambitious €300 million overhaul over the next 15 years of the 1,063-foot tower that was completed in 1889 as the entrance to the World Fair of that year. It includes a complete reorganisation of the space directly under the tower and the surrounding park, a series of maintenance works, and a plan to reduce time spent by people queueing to climb the structure designed by Gustave Eiffel. The wall is aimed at preventing attackers or vehicles storming the tourist site that is visited by seven million people each year.
