Willis Tower: Cracks appear on glass ledge
Willis Tower cracks: The see-through glass bays are known as The Ledge and extend about four feet from the building, which was once called the Sears Tower.
Anna Kane looks down from the 'The Ledge,' at Chicago's Willis Tower. Officials at the building say the popular tourist attraction is safe, even though the glass ledge jutting from the building's 103rd floor appeared to crack, May 28, beneath the feet of a visiting family. The see-through glass bays extend about four feet from the building, which was once called the Sears Tower.
Kiichiro Sato/AP/File
CHICAGO
Officials at Chicago's Willis Tower say the popular tourist attraction is safe, even though a glass ledge jutting from the building's 103rd floor appeared to crack beneath the feet of a visiting family.
The see-through glass bays are known as The Ledge and extend about four feet (1.2 meters) from the building, which was once called the Sears Tower.
Officials say the family wasn't in danger when the cracks appeared Wednesday on a glass enclosure.
In a statement Thursday, Willis Tower says a protective coating covering the glass surface cracked, not the glass itself. They say thecracks don't affect the "structural integrity" of the ledge, which is designed to occasionally crack.
The ledges have proven to be a popular — if a frightening — experience since opening in 2009.