WORLD> America
Statue of Liberty's crown may reopen to public
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-07-05 09:54

He said keeping the observation deck shuttered hurts the city's economy: Since the crown closed, the number of visitors to Lady Liberty has dropped sharply.

"The bureaucracy which had stubbornly refused to open the crown is finally moved in the right direction," Weiner said Friday. "Today's news means that America is one step closer to providing what everyone wants: safe access to the heights of Lady Liberty."


The Statue of Liberty and the New York City Skyline are seen in this photograph taken from a tour boat in New York Harbor, June 30, 2008. [Agencies]

The Park Service said in a statement Friday that several architectural and engineering firms have assessed visitor access since the attacks, and that all concluded the area from the pedestal to the crown doesn't meet safety codes.

The newest Park Service survey, sent to nearly 800 security firms, asks them to prepare plans that address whether the statue can be updated to meet fire safety codes, and, if not, how the service can minimize safety risks there.