WASHINGTON — The National Park Service has awarded Rockville, Maryland-based Grunley Construction Co. a contract worth $10.78 million for the replacement of the Washington Monument’s aging elevator and for a new visitor screening center.
The Washington Monument has been closed to visitors since August of last year after a number of elevator service interruptions that forced visitors to evacuate the monument by taking the structure’s 896 steps.
Grunley will upgrade and modernize the elevator, including replacement of out-of-date components.
The cost of the elevator replacement is $3 million and is being funded with a donation from D.C. businessman David Rubenstein to the National Park Foundation’s Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks.
Grunley Construction also will replace the current Washington Monument security screening building, which was built in 2001 and was only intended to be temporary.
It will be replaced with a new glass and steel building that incorporates full ballistic and blast protection and will have line queuing space for 18 to 20 visitors at a time.
The new screening facility is being built with funds from the National Park Service’s fiscal budget for 2017.
The screening center and new Washington Monument elevator will be open to the public by spring 2019.
