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Statue of Liberty to Close Next Year For New Emergency Staircase Construction

By DNAinfo Staff on August 9, 2010 3:25pm

The Statue of Liberty will close for up to a year after its 125th anniversary in October 2011 for an additional staircase to be built at the pedestal.
The Statue of Liberty will close for up to a year after its 125th anniversary in October 2011 for an additional staircase to be built at the pedestal.
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Flickr/John and Gill

By Jennifer Glickel

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — The Statue of Liberty will close for up to a year beginning in October 2011 so that a second staircase can be constructed at Lady Liberty’s pedestal for safety purposes, the Associated Press reported.

Currently, the 354-step spiral staircase leading to the statue's crown is the only route for both tourists and firefighters responding to emergencies to travel through the structure.

"Given its age and the fact that it is a historic structure and there's not much we can do to change it, it's just not going to be 100 percent in line" with the most current safety standards, National Parks Service spokesman Darren Boch told the AP.

Visitors to Lady Liberty will be restricted from entering the statue’s base, pedestal, and crown once the security upgrades begin next year. Tourists will still be allowed to visit the island and spend time on the grounds surrounding the statue, according to Reuters.

The Statue of Liberty was evacuated last month when a faulty automatic smoke alarm was activated, but there were no injuries. According to Reuters, the parks service had been planning on upgrading the statue for security reasons prior to the incident.

In addition to a fire-proof staircase, the $26 million project will add additional elevators and exits, said David Luchsinger, superintendent of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, according to Reuters.

The statue was closed after 9/11 for a $20 million security upgrade and reopened in 2004. The crown observation deck remained closed off for fire safety improvements until last year.