Arch work delayed by hot sun

ST. LOUIS -- The next inspection of the Gateway Arch will have to wait.

Workers were scheduled to again rappel along the side of the 630-foot-tall structure Monday, but the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the sun beating down on the metal skin of the monument made conditions too hot.

The plan Monday was to get a close-up view of the monument's underside. Last week, workers descended down the outer top of the Arch.

The National Park Service manages the Arch and wants to find the source or cause of rust-colored stains on its exterior. Engineering reports say the monument is safe. It has never been cleaned since it was topped off in 1965.

It isn't clear when the work will resume.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com