Colorado Dome To Be Covered During Repairs

DENVER (AP) -- The dome of the Colorado Capitol is going under wraps.

Contractors for the state's ongoing Capitol dome restoration project will begin placing a protective, weatherproof wrap around the dome Wednesday to prepare for the next stage of a renovation and repair project.

Restoration of the dome became necessary after Colorado's intense freeze-thaw cycle caused the exterior metal surfaces to deteriorate over the past 100 years.

State officials say the deterioration created unsafe conditions that forced closure in 2006 of the outside observation deck.

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