WASHINGTON — As repairs to one of the nation’s most recognizable landmarks near completion, two Oklahoma companies are celebrating their contribution to a project with national significance.

Exodus Mobile Cleaning is one of two companies based in Atoka, Oklahoma, involved in repairs and restoration work on the iconic Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. They’re joined by  Mid-America Industrial Coatings further highlighting small Oklahoma businesses.

Co-owner of Exodus Mobile Cleaning, Wade Powell, said this job represents a rare opportunity for him and his crew to leave their mark on a site woven into American history.

“Just being out here is crazy,” said Powell. “I mean who can say, they’ve worked on something like this?”

Stretching more than 2,000 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, the Reflecting Pool has been the backdrop to some of the nation’s most historic moments from presidential celebrations to civil rights protests.

The Trump administration announced plans to drain, repair and resurface the Reflecting Pool in late April ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations on July 4, citing long-standing leaks and concerns about the pool’s appearance.

Despite controversy surrounding the project, crews say the repairs were long overdue.

“It wasn’t just a paint job. I think that’s what a lot of people ignore,” said Powell. “The concrete was full of cracks and damage that you can’t see when it’s all under water.”

Crews worked to clean, seal and resurface the pool, coating it in what administration officials described as “American flag blue” to enhance reflectivity and conceal aging concrete.

However, since its announcement, the project’s price tag has increased from an estimated $1.8 million to $13.1 million. The Interior Department has said the accelerated timeline to complete repairs before July 4 contributed to the increase.

Powell said he can confirm crews have been hard at work to meet this deadline.

“Other than the rain they haven’t stopped since we got here,” said Powell. “It’s seven days a week, 12 hours a day, they come out at night if they have too.”

President Donald Trump visited the Reflecting Pool worksite in early May and gifted workers with presidential challenge coins to recognize their efforts and commemorate the historic repairs.

“He came out in person to say thank you and shake hands,” said Powell, who added his crew hails from Atoka located 130 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.  “To these guys that really meant a lot.”

For the Oklahoma companies involved, the project is bigger than a single job, providing a national showcase for their businesses and skilled workers.

U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said they demonstrate the expertise Oklahoma companies can bring to projects across the country.

“Oklahomans honestly like doing work that they think is nationally significant and important,” said Cole. “It just shows our folks can compete with anybody else.”

For Powell and his employees, the location and historical significance of the project set it apart from other jobs.

“This is something that we will be able to tell our grandkids one day, we did that,” said Powell. “So it’s been huge.”

As the project moves toward completion, the Oklahoma workers involved say they hope their contribution will help preserve one of America’s most recognizable landmarks for decades to come.

“This has been a great opportunity, and it’s been a great honor for us,” said Powell. “We were truly blessed when we got the chance to do this.”

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.