Earthquake repairs could keep the Washington Monument closed and its exterior shrouded in scaffolding until 2014, reports the Washington Post:
The estimated $15 million project could require the temporary removal of part of the granite plaza surrounding the monument and involve construction of an access road on the south side of its grounds.
Robert A. Vogel, superintendent of the Park Service’s National Mall and Memorial Parks, said the project also may require the temporary removal of some of the plaza’s flagpoles and benches.