美国国会圆顶1300多条裂缝 50年来最大规模维修在即

Americans want to overhaul Congress, but they may have to settle for a facelift of the Capitol dome.

The Architect of the Capitol, an office that oversees most of Congress' physical facilities, on Tuesday announced plans to shroud the dome in scaffolding for two years so contractors can repair 1,300 cracks, address years of corrosion and plug leaks.

The contractors will do the work mostly at night, to avoid disrupting lawmakers, who were recently busy shutting down the government.

To help the contractors and to conduct the renovations in an "aesthetically pleasing manner," the scaffolding will be illuminated at night.

That will create a visual effect is similar to the nighttime look of the Washington Monument, which has been covered in scaffolding for months to fix damage from a 2012 earthquake.

The Capitol dome repairs have a budget of just under $60 million. They mark the first major repairs to the dome - a celebrated symbol of the egovernment - since 1959.

During the work, "a white canopy system in the shape of a donut" will be placed inside the hall under the dome to protect visitors.

If other recent projects in the Capitol are any guide, it will last longer than the two years projected by the Architect of the Capitol.

The renovations come amid a slew of polls showing record low approval ratings for Congress in the wake of the 16-day shutdown this month.

A USA TODAY-Princeton Survey Research poll released Tuesday found that 47% of Americans would like every seat in Congress to change hands.