London- The British House of Commons announced on Friday that maintenance works at the Elizabeth Tower in London, which includes the famous clock and the Big Ben bell will cost double of the original estimate.

On its official website, the House said: “the repair project will totally cost 61 million pounds ($82 million), up from an original estimate of 29 million pounds in spring 2016.”

It also noted that the rise is required to preserve the historical feature for future generations, adding that they now have a bigger understanding of the needed work in the Elizabeth Tower carrying the famous bell and that the conditions of the surrounding lands are more complex than they previously thought.

The familiar bangs of the Big Ben clock were controversially muted earlier this year, to allow the maintenance project to proceed.

The Big Ben fell silent in August ahead of the four-year restoration project.

The hammers, which hit the 13.7 ton-bell on each hour for nearly 157 years, will be suspended and separated from the hour, but the ringing sounds will be heard in the important events such as the New Year celebrations.