May 21, 2014
Zaina Kahuk
News Writer
Headlines
Officials of the National Park Service have been called to investigate the Washington Monument’s elevator after numerous breakdowns have occurred. The Monument, which reopened on May 12 after being closed since Aug 2011 due to an earthquake, has had thousands of visitors daily. Since reopening visitors have dealt with problems from the elevator; on one occasion a group of 60 had to be evacuated using a flight of stairs. The main issue involves the controller for the elevator which does not recognize that the doors are closed, which causes it to stop. Officials have stated, “We are, of course, apologetic for the inconvenience to our visitors. But I can assure them that we will diagnose the problem and correct it. And I can also assure them that there are no safety concerns about the elevator. It has been certified and is safe for our visitors. Our first priority is safety.”
