WASHINGTON — Damage to the Washington Monument from the 2011 earthquake continues to plague the historic landmark despite $15 million and almost three years spent on repairs.
National Park Service officials now believe that earthquake damage could be contributing to the ongoing mechanical problems with the elevator inside the monument, said spokesman Mike Litterst.
“The effects of the earthquake, including moisture seeping in through cracks, may have had a greater impact on the elevator system than originally believed and may be at least partially responsible for the earlier than anticipated replacement of the control system, currently underway,” he writes in an email to WTOP.
D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said she worries that the frequent monument closures will hurt tourism and the local economy. She’s planning to meet with park service officials this week to learn more about the root cause of the elevator issues, suggesting that a lack of funding from Congress might also have contributed to the delay in replacing elevator equipment.
Elevator outages have closed the monument to the public repeatedly this year.
The monument most recently closed on Aug. 17 after a compensation cable that stabilizes the elevator unexpectedly broke loose. A 10-day closure was ordered so that the crews could plan for a new control system, inspect and clean the elevator shaft, check the circuit breakers and inspect and repair fans at the top of the elevator.
Two weekends ago, computer issues with the control system left three park employees stuck in the elevator for 40 minutes. Dozens of visitors had to exit the observation deck using the stairs.
Elevator problems closed the monument three times last year.
The 20-year-old mechanical system that controls the elevator was not replaced as part of the earthquake repairs, which addressed damage to the stone and masonry that form the 555-foot obelisk.
The landmark is structurally sound, Litterst said.
The 5.8-magnitude earthquake centered in Mineral, Virginia, and also damaged the National Cathedral and Union Station.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.