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Repairs To Begin On Washington Monument

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The Washington Monument will soon be encased in scaffolding as repairs are performed to fix cracks caused by the August 2011 earthquake.
Chris Suspect: http://www.flickr.com/photos/csuspect/6051276091/
The Washington Monument will soon be encased in scaffolding as repairs are performed to fix cracks caused by the August 2011 earthquake.

The National Park Service reports a contractor has been chosen for the $15 million project to repair the Washington Monument, after the 555-foot obelisk was damaged by last year's earthquake.

Repairs can resume over the next two months. The four companies awarded the contract have worked on the Ronald Reagan Building and worked on the monument during restoration between 1998 and 2000 when minor repairs were undertaken. It will be encased in steel scaffolding as it was more than a decade ago.

"We have asked that the scaffolding design by based on the one that was used during the restoration that was completed in 2000," says Bob Vogel, with the National Park Service. "I have heard from a number of people that they liked it so much that they wanted to keep it in place.

It could take anywhere from 12-18 months to complete repairs, meaning it could reopen as late as 2014.

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