The Washington Monument could soon reopen after being closed since a lightning strike Aug. 15.
That dramatic lightning strike damaged the monument’s electronic access system and repairs took longer than expected.
But on Wednesday afternoon, the National Park Service tweeted that the needed parts to fix the system have arrived.
The park service said installation and testing is set for Thursday and would be completed “as soon as possible.”
UPDATE: The necessary parts to repair the Washington Monument’s electronic access system have arrived. Installation & testing will begin tomorrow and be completed as soon as possible. #WashingtonDC
— National Mall NPS (@NationalMallNPS) August 25, 2021
The 555-foot tall monument just recently reopened after being closed for six months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It also sustained significant damage during the East Coast earthquake in 2011, forcing it to shut down for three years. The damage caused by that earthquake has been cited as the culprit behind elevator breakdowns at the monument.
The Aug. 15 lightning strike was captured in a video shared on social media by Georgetown Law student Travis Nix:
Live at the Lincoln Memorial. Lightning hits Washington monument. Absolutely incredible pic.twitter.com/S1ivKTTS0g
— Travis Nix (@tnix113) August 15, 2021
EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the monument would be open Thursday.
