Statue of Liberty to Reopen by July 4

The National Park Service expects to reopen the Statue of Liberty to visitors by July 4th, after repairing the extensive damage to Liberty Island caused by Hurricane Sandy.

That announcement came from Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Senator Charles Schumer.

Salazar emphasized the importance of reopening the statue to the New York economy. An annual report released last month by the national park service showed that 3.7 million people visited the park in 2011, generating $174 million in economic activity and supporting over twenty two hundred jobs.