Starting in November, the U.S. Capitol dome will be covered in scaffolding for the next two years. This is the first time since 1959 that major work has been done on the Capitol dome. The project is expected to cost almost $60 million.
But don’t worry if you are planning a visit. The rotunda, which hosts many tour groups everyday will stay open during the construction and the George Washington painting will remain visible. There are even plans to light up the scaffolding during construction.
The dome is in need of work as there are apparently 1,000 cracks and deficiencies. Most of the problems came from weather and water has been getting through the cracks and some areas are starting to rust. In order to keep Congress undisturbed during this process, the work will mostly be completed on nights and weekends. But let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that this will help keep Congress working!