WASHINGTON (AP) -- The District of Columbia's delegate to Congress says the Washington Monument elevator needs a major renovation that will likely require the monument to be closed for up to nine months.
The elevator has broken down frequently over the past two years, and the National Park Service has said the problems may trace back to an earthquake that damaged the monument five years ago. The monument needed $15 million in repairs and was closed for nearly three years, but the park service did not renovate the elevator during that time.
Democratic Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton met with park service officials on Wednesday. She says in a statement that not fixing the elevator after the earthquake was a mistake.
The monument is currently closed for an inspection of the elevator.
