Washington: The Washington Monument, one of the US capital's most recognizable sights, was to reopen on Monday, three years after sustaining damage from a rare earthquake.
The popular tourist attraction is the US capital city's tallest building at 555 feet (170-meters).
The obelisk, built in honor of the first US president, George Washington, was closed after engineers found 150 cracks in the structure following a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in the neighboring state of Virginia in August 2011.
"This enduring spirit of public-private partnerships has made it possible for visitors to once again enjoy the Monument and its unmatched view of Washington" said US Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said in a statement.
Public tours recommence after the ceremony, with tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis, officials said.
The 2011 quake rattled a large swathe of the US East Coast, a region not usually prone to earthquakes.
The popular tourist attraction is the US capital city's tallest building at 555 feet (170-meters).
The obelisk, built in honor of the first US president, George Washington, was closed after engineers found 150 cracks in the structure following a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in the neighboring state of Virginia in August 2011.
"This enduring spirit of public-private partnerships has made it possible for visitors to once again enjoy the Monument and its unmatched view of Washington" said US Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said in a statement.
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Public tours recommence after the ceremony, with tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis, officials said.
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The 2011 quake rattled a large swathe of the US East Coast, a region not usually prone to earthquakes.
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