Ring in the games: Countdown to Olympics

June 27, 2012: The iconic Tower Bridge in London has been adorned with the Olympic rings in an effort to get the city read for next month's games. (AP Photo)

The rings are fully retractable to allow large ships to pass through, and will remain in position for the entirety of the games. (AP Photo)

LONDON – Time to ring in the games. Almost.

Five super-sized Olympic rings were lowered off Tower Bridge on Wednesday, draping the internationally recognized symbol over the iconic landmark spanning the Thames river.

London Mayor Boris Johnson lowered the rings with a few words barked into a walkie-talkie from a barge circling below.

The fusing of a London icon -- the gateway to the city -- with the rings is a signal that London is ready to go one month before the games. The Olympics start July 27 and end on Aug. 12.

The massive rings -- 82 feet wide and 37 feet tall -- are part of efforts to bedeck the city in Olympic banners and bold color ahead of the competition.