The National Park Service is expected to hire a contractor to complete a major elevator repair inside the Washington Monument by the end of August. The contractor, once formally selected and announced, will also construct a visitor screening center for the popular attraction.
The cost of the work is estimated between $8 million and $12 million, according to filings submitted by the National Park Service.
An agency official told the News4 I-Team an announcement will happen by Thursday, Aug. 31. The National Park Service shuttered the monument to tourists because of failures with the elevator.
The agency said the project requires the removal of “out-of-date system components” from a 1997 upgrade of the elevator system.
A solicitation sent to prospective bidders said the work is particularly delicate.
“The work will be performed within and immediately adjacent to historically significant features of the Monument, requiring resource protection for both interior and exterior work. All construction work must be performed in a manner that provides the greatest benefit to this highly significant, visible and prominent site,” the solicitation said.
The Washington Monument elevator has broken down multiple times since it reopened in 2014. Last year, more than 40 people including two pregnant women were trapped at the top after the elvator malfunctioned.
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CORRECTION (August 19, 2017, 11:52 a.m. ET): The story originally said the contract for repairs would be awarded by Aug. 24. The award date is Aug. 31.
