NYT Finds Dozens of Defects in $16.4 Million Lincoln Pool Renovation
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 6
NYT Finds Dozens of Defects in $16.4 Million Lincoln Pool Renovation
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 6
Summary
Dozens of bubbles, tears and peeling spots appear across the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s new liner, according to a New York Times review of high-resolution photos taken after the pool was fenced off and drained.
Many flaws cluster along expansion joints, where the liner bulged or tented over gaps designed to flex with temperature changes; a materials scientist said coating across those moving joints was a significant risk.
Court documents and prosecutors have pointed to a rushed, flawed installation before July 4, with weather delays interrupting work and a Park Service engineer warning that "overspray" could leave one- to two-foot strips vulnerable to peeling.
The findings undercut President Trump’s repeated claims that vandals caused the damage, while the Interior Department said the joint coating is soft and easily cut but did not address the broader tenting and peeling.