Workers are setting limits on the Durie Hill elevator so that it stops at the right point and can be reopened to the public.
However, when that might happen is an issue of debate among those tracking the progress of the work and those carrying it out.
Facilities management officer at Whanganui District Council Peter Tantrum said he hopes the elevator will be open to the public again today.
"We're getting pretty close. All we're doing is trying to set the limits so that it stops at the right point because it alters whether it's hot or cold," Tantrum said.
"Basically we're just trying to get it in the middle because at the moment it stops short. It's always stopped at different heights."
There is more work required on the 99-year-old elevator that could prolong an opening, including installing a new safety feature.
It is a mechanism that will be activated if something connecting the cables to the main shaft breaks.
Peter Tantrum shows off some of the new gear inside the Durie Hill elevator, which he hopes will be ready to reopen to the public on Tuesday. Photo / Bevan Conley
Should that happen, an arm will be pushed away from the microshift which will hit a button, depowering the motor so that it won't drive in an emergency situation.
"It's one more safety feature because we're more safety-conscious these days than we were in the 1900s," Tantrum said.
"The other thing we're going to do later on is have a night position for the car, just to stop the water from damaging it."
Tantrum is talking about water that has been rising up from the ground.
"Water damage can happen at the bottom, that's a new thing that has started in the last 10 years. It will still happen, but the car will be halfway up the shaft, out of the water.
"We've tried sealing the shaft, but we haven't found a product that works. We've tried several products, but there's just so much pressure pushing through."
A cable snapped inside the elevator, which will turn 100 in August next year, while there was an operator inside it in September and it has been out of commission ever since.
On that occasion, the emergency brake kicked into gear and the remaining cables kept the elevator secure until the operator could be winched to safety.
At the time of snapping, Whanganui District Council had already identified that the cables were deteriorating and ordered new ones which were being delivered.
While the elevator has been out of action, Council used the opportunity to upgrade it with new ropes, shafts, bearings and oils.
Tantrum said there will be a celebration of the elevator for its 100th anniversary and he hopes the planned new entranceway will be open in time for it.
