Washington Monument closes indefinitely for elevator repairs

The Washington Monument has been shut down indefinitely as work to modernize the elevator continues, officials from the National Park Service announced Monday.

"We have not been able to determine the causes of the ongoing reliability issues," the park service said in a statement on Facebook. "As a result, we have made the difficult decision not to reopen the Washington Monument until we can modernize the elevator control system."

The elevator that takes passengers to the top of the 555-foot marble obelisk has repeatedly broken down, trapping riders and forcing visitors to walk down dozens of flights of stairs.

Following a 2011 earthquake, the monument underwent three years of repairs before re-opening to visitors in 2014. But elevator issues continued.

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The National Park Service closed the monument last month to evaluate the causes of the frequent elevator breakdowns, but they have been unable to resolve the issue despite the month-long inspection.

The news comes as thousands congregate on the National Mall to visit the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which stands in the shadows of the Washington Monument.

The duration of the monument's closure will be announced "in the next couple of weeks," the park service said.