August 22, 2011

Statue of Liberty to close for construction work to meet new fire codes

NEW YORK

The Statue of Liberty will close for a year at the end of October as it undergoes a $27.25 million of construction designed to make the interior safer and more accessible. Workers from Joseph Construction Corp. of Pine Brook, New Jersey, will install improved stairways and upgrade electrical and fire suppression systems, elevators and bathrooms.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the closure Wednesday.

The National Parks Service, which manages the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, said it will close the monument on Oct. 28, after the 125th anniversary of its dedication.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE U.S. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

It will be closed the following day. The renovations are limited to the monument and Liberty Island will remain open. The National Parks Service told The Associated Press in August 2010 that it would close the statue's crown to upgrade the stairwells and improve safety at Lady Liberty. One reason, the service said at the time, was that the newest fire codes mandate escape routes that would allow the statue to be evacuated within two hours, but the current staircases on either side of the pedestal do not meet the standards.

The statue was closed after the Sept. 11 terror attacks for security precautions, but the base reopened in 2004 after a $20 million security upgrade. The observation deck at the top of the crown was reopened on July 4, 2009.

The National Parks Service controls the number of visitors to the crown, saying about 240 people visit each day. About 3.5 million people visit the monument every year.

The statue was built in the 1880s, and was a gift from France.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

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