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Colorado's Capitol Dome Reopening To Public

DENVER (AP) — Gov. John Hickenlooper will help mark the reopening of the Colorado Capitol dome, which has been closed to the public for repairs since late 2011.

Hickenlooper and other state officials are hosting a dedication ceremony Thursday morning at the Capitol's grand staircase. The first public tour of the dome and observation deck will be held at 11:30 a.m. after the ceremony.

Capitol Dome Opening
(credit: CBS)

The $17 million project was necessary because Colorado's intense freeze-thaw cycle caused the exterior metal surfaces to deteriorate during the past 100 years. Cast iron columns supporting the dome also started rusting.

Capitol Dome Gold Leaf
Copter4 flew over as workers replaced gold leaf on the state Capitol dome in August 2014. (credit: CBS)

The dome was re-gilded with 65 ounces of gold.

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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