Parts of Norfolk’s granite MLK monument — in the middle of a busy intersection — have come loose

Norfolk — Part of the granite face of the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial that towers over Brambleton Avenue has come loose and may pose a risk to drivers.

From the street, a panel near the very top of the monument could be seen to be missing on Thursday.

City spokeswoman Lori Crouch said Thursday that the damage to the 83-foot-tall obelisk was likely just due to age. She said they had a structural engineer check out the problem on Oct. 1 and that staff is still trying to figure out the next steps to get it repaired.

The city will close travel lanes around the monument for the time being, though Crouch said it shouldn’t seriously impact travel through the intersection.

“Those pieces are not secure right now. They’re not safe. They’re loose," Crouch said Thursday. "Because these are large granite panels, we can’t run the risk of it coming down and hurting people.”

The monument has stood at the center of the intersection between Church Street and Brambleton Avenue since 2000. The black stone sides of the monument are inscribed with quotes from the civil rights leader.

Staff writer Kimberly Pierceall contributed to this report.

Ryan Murphy, 757-739-8582, ryan.murphy@pilotonline.com