By Associated Press - Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Engineers have completed their inspection of the Washington Monument’s exterior following damage from an earthquake.

The National Park Service says the team that has been rappelling from the top of the monument finished its survey Wednesday morning. The engineers have been removing stone and mortar shaken loose by the 5.8-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 23.

Park service officials have said the engineers will provide a report that will help determine how the monument should be repaired. The earthquake caused numerous cracks to form in the 127-year-old obelisk. But the engineers have said it remains structurally sound.

The inspection began a week ago, but weather caused some delays and complications. On Friday, one engineer was blown about 30 feet off the monument’s face by a gust of wind. He was not injured.

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.

Click to Read More and View Comments

Click to Hide