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Work progresses on Washington Monument

WASHINGTON — Tourists hitting town who are eager to go to the top of the Washington Monument will be disappointed that it’s closed for repairs, but officials say work is progressing.

“Work to both modernize the Washington Monument elevator and continues,” said National Park Service Spokesman Mike Litterst. “The design of both components of the project has been completed.”

Litterst said the contractor bidding process will begin soon. The announcement of the companies selected to do the work should come by the end of August, “allowing us to continue targeting a 2019 reopening,” he said.

When the work is complete, a will allow visitors to line up indoors before a security check. It will look like a big box made of bulletproof glass. And the elevator will have a  and remote diagnostics, which will allow technicians to identify and fix problems sooner.

Kristi King

Kristi King is a veteran reporter who has been working in the ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ newsroom since 1990. She covers everything from breaking news to consumer concerns and the latest medical developments.

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