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Earthquake damage likely cause of Washington Monument elevator breakdowns

In this file photo, a U.S. Park Service helicopter flies in front of the Washington Monument in Washington, on Aug. 23, 2011, after it was evacuated following an earthquake in the Washington area. White marble and mortar on the 555-foot obelisk cracked and shook loose during the quake. Repairs to the stone cost $15 million but didn't address the elevator that takes tourists up to the observation deck inside. National Park Service officials believe that damage from the quake is likely contributing to ongoing mechanical problems with the elevator. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
In this file photo, a U.S. Park Service helicopter flies in front of the Washington Monument in Washington, on Aug. 23, 2011, after it was evacuated following an earthquake in the Washington area. White marble and mortar on the 555-foot obelisk cracked and shook loose during the quake. Repairs to the stone cost $15 million but didn’t address the elevator that takes tourists up to the observation deck inside. National Park Service officials believe that damage from the quake is likely contributing to ongoing mechanical problems with the elevator. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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In this file photo, a U.S. Park Service helicopter flies in front of the Washington Monument in Washington, on Aug. 23, 2011, after it was evacuated following an earthquake in the Washington area. White marble and mortar on the 555-foot obelisk cracked and shook loose during the quake. Repairs to the stone cost $15 million but didn't address the elevator that takes tourists up to the observation deck inside. National Park Service officials believe that damage from the quake is likely contributing to ongoing mechanical problems with the elevator. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 23:  U.S. Park Police work to keep people away from the area surrounding the Washington Monument after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the east coast August 23, 2011 in Washington, DC. Police officers said that unidentified material had fallen off the Washington Monument as a result of the earthquake. All the monuments and buildings along the National Mall have been evacuated and closed.  (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
People use the stairs to evacuate a building in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011, after an earthquake hit the Washington area. The 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New York City.  (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 03:  Difficult Access Team (DAT) engineers with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates examine stones of the Washington Monument for cracks October 3, 2011 in Washington, DC. The DAT team continued the inspection of the monument to check for more damage caused by the 5.8-magnitude earthquake on August 23, 2011.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 03:  Difficult Access Team (DAT) engineers with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates examine stones of the Washington Monument for cracks October 3, 2011 in Washington, DC. The DAT team continued the inspection of the monument to check for more damage caused by the 5.8-magnitude earthquake on August 23, 2011.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 03:  Difficult Access Team (DAT) engineers with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates examine stones of the Washington Monument for cracks October 3, 2011 in Washington, DC. The DAT team continued the inspection of the monument to check for more damage caused by the 5.8-magnitude earthquake on August 23, 2011.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
FILE -  In this Sept. 29, 2011 file photo, Dan Lemieux, manager of the Washington Monument inspection project, holds a loose chunk of marble off the monument damaged by an earthquake Aug. 23 earthquake. Researchers in a nationwide study of earthquakes will soon place new instruments in Georgia and other eastern states as they seek to learn more about what causes them and where they might strike. Scientists involved in the study say the recent earthquake in Virginia, which cracked the Washington Monument, has led to a renewed emphasis on trying to understand more about what lies below the Earth's surface in eastern states. (AP Photo/Ben Nuckols, File)

WASHINGTON — Damage to the Washington Monument from the 2011 earthquake continues to plague the historic landmark despite $15 million and almost three years spent on repairs.

National Park Service officials now believe that earthquake damage could be contributing to the ongoing mechanical problems with the elevator inside the monument, said spokesman Mike Litterst.

“The effects of the earthquake, including moisture seeping in through cracks, may have had a greater impact on the elevator system than originally believed and may be at least partially responsible for the earlier than anticipated replacement of the control system, currently underway,” he writes in an email to WTOP.

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said she worries that the frequent monument closures will hurt tourism and the local economy. She’s planning to meet with park service officials this week to learn more about the root cause of the elevator issues, suggesting that a lack of funding from Congress might also have contributed to the delay in replacing elevator equipment.

Elevator outages have closed the monument to the public repeatedly this year.

The monument most recently closed on Aug. 17 after a compensation cable that stabilizes the elevator unexpectedly broke loose. A 10-day closure was ordered so that the crews could plan for a new control system, inspect and clean the elevator shaft, check the circuit breakers and inspect and repair fans at the top of the elevator.

Two weekends ago, computer issues with the control system left three park employees stuck in the elevator for 40 minutes. Dozens of visitors had to exit the observation deck using the stairs.

Elevator problems closed the monument three times last year.

The 20-year-old mechanical system that controls the elevator was not replaced as part of the earthquake repairs, which addressed damage to the stone and masonry that form the 555-foot obelisk.

The landmark is structurally sound, Litterst said.

The 5.8-magnitude earthquake centered in Mineral, Virginia, and also damaged the National Cathedral and Union Station.

WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.

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