London's iconic Abbey Road repainted amid coronavirus lockdown

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, when the entire world is trapped under a lockdown, cities are taking advantage of empty streets and giving their communities a much-needed change. London's iconic Abbey Road zebra crossing has been repainted while the streets of London are empty because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The iconic Abbey Road zebra crossing, which was made famous by the 1969 Beatles album of the same name, is one of the busiest zebra crossings. While residents in London remained indoors during the coronavirus pandemic, the city officials asked for the zebra stripes to be repainted, as per reports. The day after the prime minister Boris Johnson ordered Britain to go on lockdown, a highways maintenance crew repainted the busy zebra crossing on 24 March.

Abbey Road

The Beatles made Abbey Road Studios their home, between 1963 and 1969, recording all their albums, from “Please Please Me” to “Let It Be.” The band even gave their farewell concert on the venue’s roof in 1969 before splitting up, as per reports. The walk of the Fab Four across Abbey Road was captured by Macmillan.

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A spokesperson for Westminster City Council reportedly said that it is a very busy zebra crossing and that they have repainted the line markings to ensure visibility and increased safety for drivers and pedestrians. In 2010, Abbey Road was given the protected status in the UK, making it the first street crossing to get the same level of recognition, given to famous buildings and monuments. John Penrose, minister for tourism and heritage reportedly said that London zebra crossing is not a castle or cathedral but, it has a strong claim to be seen as part of the heritage. He credits this to the Beatles and a 10-minute photo shoot that took place, which has given the road its recognition as a place of importance.

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Aside from everyday tourists, the famous faces who have walked across the road include Jon Bon Jovi and Prince Harry. The duo recorded a single for Harry's Invictus Games, which has now been postponed due to COVID-19, as per reports. For five decades, Abbey Road has been an extremely popular tourist destination and is regularly crowded with Beatles fans trying to recreate the pose.

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