Contactor hired to study if Lady Liberty's crown safe for reopening

Washington, August 13 : The U.S. Government is commissioning a Baltimore-based contractor to figure out what it will take to reopen Lady Liberty's crown.

Anthony Weiner, a Democratic politician from New York, has revealed that Hughes Associates Inc. has won a bid for the project.

He said that the contractor must submit a safety study of the Statue of Liberty by February.

"I'm pleased, but a little bit concerned," the New York Daily News quoted Weiner as saying.

He fears that the company will focus on bringing the landmark up to safety and security codes, an unrealistic and unnecessary step to opening the crown.

"This is a good step if it brings the National Park Service to where they need to be to reopen the crown," he said.

"But if it's just another bureaucratic barrier, then it's not worth the paper it's written on," added Weiner, who has fought to make the landmark fully accessible.

The site was shut after the World Trade Center attack, but the statue's pedestal was reopened four years ago.

However, the crown has remained off-limits.

ANI