Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island to remain closed until end of year

Statue Island and Ellis Island were damaged when Superstorm Sandy hit the US east coast.

IN THE AFTERMATH of Superstorm Sandy, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are to remain closed to visitors until the end of 2012.

Both sites have been closed since the storm hit the US east coast in late October.

The National Park Service has said that cleanup and repair work will continue into the new year, but that no opening date had been decided upon, wnyc.com reports.

“We are keenly aware of how important the Statue of Liberty is to New York City, not only as an icon but as a major driver for the tourism industry, so we are working as quickly as we can to get the site open,” National Park spokesman Mike Litterst said.

The State of Liberty itself suffered little damage but the surrounding docks, promenade, and railings on Liberty Island were affected. Meanwhile, at Ellis Island, the storm damaged the ferry building and exhibits, reports the New York Times.

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