Pine Brook Company to Renovate Lady Liberty

Joseph A. Natoli Construction Corp., located on Changebridge Road in the Pine Brook section of Montville, has been awarded a contract to upgrade the Statue of Liberty.

The National Park Service says the renovations will include new stairways and elevators, and updated mechanical, electrical and fire suppression systems.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the $27.25 million renovation in a news release and said the year-long project will begin in late October.

“We are taking a major step in bringing a 19th Century icon into the 21st Century,” Salazar said.

Joseph A. Natoli Construction Corp. was founded in 1975 and has done previous work on the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, according to its website.

The work will allow for increased visitor access to the monument, including the pedestal and the museum, the National Park Service said.

The National Park Service plans to keep the monument open through the Oct. 28 celebration of the 125th anniversary of the statue's dedication. The interior of the monument will close the next day so work can begin.

Liberty Island will remain open during the project and views of the statue will remain largely unobstructed during the year-long upgrade to the statue's interior, the National Park Service said. The project is being funded by National Park Service appropriations and fees paid by franchises who operate concessions at the park.