The Washington Monument will be closed for the next week or so while technicians inspect the elevator system to try to uncover why it has failed so much recently/NPS

Problems that have plagued the elevator in the Washington Monument over the past week or so have prompted a decision to temporary suspend public tours of the monument so technicans can "perform a thorough evaluation of the elevator" with hopes of uncovering the cause of recent breakdowns.

National Park Service officials announced Friday that the monument would "remain closed for at least the next 10 days" to allow for the testing and any necessary repairs.\

"Information gained in the course of the evaluation will also provide important data for the design of a new elevator control system, now underway," said Park Service spokesman Michael Litterest in an email.

Work to be completed includes inspection and cleaning of the hoistway; checking the integrity of the circuit breakers using thermal imaging; inspection of and any needed repairs to the fans on top of the elevator car; and cleaning and lighting work in the stairwell.

This past Wednesday "the cable broke loose from the elevator car, causing the elevator to stop between the 490' and 500' levels. The compensating cable is connected to the bottom of the car and the bottom of the counterweight and helps control the car while it is in motion by compensating for the differing weight of cable between the hoist and cab," a Park Service release said.

One employee and no visitors were on board at the time of the service interruption. However, there were 84 visitors in the monument and they "were walked down the stairs without incident," the Park Service said.

The compensating cable repair is not related to the power issues that closed the monument on Saturday and Sunday, the agency said. The power issues were related to a tripped breaker caused by a voltage drop of incoming power to the monument.