ST. LOUIS (AP) -- About half as many visitors as usual will be able to visit the top of the Gateway Arch through the rest of the summer.

  One of the two trams that shuttle tourists to the top of the monument will remain closed at least seven to nine weeks, after a snapped cable caused a power outage that trapped roughly 200 people inside the landmark for up to three hours Saturday night.

  New steel cables have to be manufactured and installed for the tram system in the south leg of the monument, the Arch's deputy superintendent, Frank Mares, said Tuesday.

  That is expected to mean longer waits for visitors who want to go up to the top via the north leg, and the possibility that tram rides will sell out earlier.

  About 1 million of the 3 million people who visit the national park annually take the ride to the top, Mares said.

  Officials have said there was no danger to those trapped this weekend, just a lot of inconvenience.

  The shimmering steel Gateway Arch has two trams inside it, one in the south leg and one in the north.

  "Each tram is a train, really, of connected cars -- eight round capsules that each seat five people," Mares said. He said each tram works like an elevator, with a motor that pulls cables up as a counterweight drops down. Each tram system has nine steel cables, though only two are really needed in each leg to support the tram, he said.

  The tram inside the south leg will be closed until all nine cables can be replaced, Mares said. The north tram will run as usual.

  The cables are routinely inspected and replaced every other year.

  Cables on the south tram, which experienced the cable break, were scheduled for replacement next January.

  One cable broke and fell, though it's not clear why. The cable struck the electrified tram rail and caused a short circuit, he said. The short circuit caused a fuse to blow inside a main electrical switch, resulting in the power outage.

  The Gateway Arch reopened at 8 a.m. Sunday with the one tram bringing visitors to the top. There was a roughly 15-minute power outage again Sunday afternoon. Frayed wires crossed when tram mechanics inspecting the damaged system found a broken surge protector, the National Park Service said.

  The St. Louis office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.

  Several visitors on Tuesday weren't terribly concerned about the power outage, or that just one tram was running.

  "They wouldn't be operating it if it wasn't safe," said Chris Starr, 51, of Grand Junction, Colo. He had a short wait for a tram ride, but said he used the time to view a film about the monument.

  Mares said officials are confident visitors will keep busy if they have to wait for a tram. The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial park also includes the Old Courthouse, where the Dred Scott case was heard. The inside of the Gateway Arch also includes a museum.

  Lou Ann Burkhead, 41, of Parksley, Va., said she'd been nervous about making the trip to the top, and those concerns got worse when she learned about the people stuck this weekend.

  Her worry as she waited to board a tram? "The height, the height, just the height," she said.

  But even if she had been one of those stuck, she still wouldn't have too many safety concerns. "I guess I'd just sit tight and talk to these lovely people," she said, gesturing to her family and other visitors around her.

  ----

  On the Net:

  Jefferson National Expansion Memorial: http://www.nps.gov/jeff/

  (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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Crews evacuate all 240 trapped in Arch

(KMOV) - Crews were able to rescue all 240 people that were trapped in the Arch for nearly three hours Saturday evening.

Visitors that were trapped ran into the arms of anxious loved ones waiting for them.

The power apparently was out at the Arch, and the elevators just would not come down.

A spokesperson for the Arch says this usually never occurs.

The Arch during the summer is open from 8 a.m.-10 p.m., seven days a week.

Visitors were most likely attending Live on the Levee Downtown, and decided to check out the sights from the top of the Arch.

It is not confirmed, but a cable might have snapped and may have caused the power outage.

Two teachers that came into town for a convention were amongst the 240 visitors trapped. They came into News 4's studios and talked about their ordeal.

They told News 4 that everyone remained remarkably calm, and that even though they wish the power outage hadn't happened, they enjoyed meeting everyone.

8-10 fire trucks and emergency crews surrounded the area around 8:30 p.m.

There are no reports of any injuries.

****Previous story****

Power outage in Arch elevator traps 240

(KMOV) - News 4 is following reports of 240 people trapped in an elevator near the south leg of the Arch.

The power apparently is out at the Arch, and the elevators just will not come down.

A spokesperson for the Arch says this usually never occurs.

The Arch during the summer is open from 8 a.m.-10 p.m., seven days a week.

Visitors were most likely attending Live on the Levee Downtown, and decided to check out the sights from the top of the Arch.

It is not confirmed, but a cable might have snapped and may have caused the power outage.

There is no word on any back-up generator.

A man trapped at the top of the Arch says he hasn't seen any signs of emergency crews. He also claims that it is getting warm, but that for the most part people are remaining calm.

It is reported that one of the trams is down, so crews are making some progress.

Relatives of the people trapped inside are standing outside of the Arch waiting anxiously for their loved ones.

8-10 fire trucks and emergency crews are surrounding the area.

No one is hurt at this point.

No but I'm terrified of small spaces and heights. I dont do well on trips up to the top. I've been up 3 times for school related functions and have had a panic attack every time. I would be the one on the ground waiting for my loved ones to come down.

My Boyfriend and I were in the Arch when all power was out. Now reading the story anbout a cable breaking explains the lound banging noises we heard when the trams came to a screetching halt. I truly thought that the trams were coming off of the tracks and crashing down on us. We were in the 7 car with 6 cars above us. I just hugged my boyfriend and waited for the fall. When everything calmed down and we realized that we were not dying, we tryed to contact someone.... but had no signal. Cell phones don't work in a concret box. After about 30 minutes someone finally came up to let us know they were aware and was trying to fix the problem. Finally an hour and a half the fire department with ladders in hand was able to open the doors to the trams and help us climb down. It is funny... you always fear what could happen in that little car... now I know what could happen.

I am 48, the Arch is younger, but I have only been in it once.

Were you or a loved one trapped in the Arch Saturday?