A steel-covered walkway is being installed at the entrance of the state capitol to protect visitors from falling pieces of mortar from the 86-year-old building. Division of administration spokesperson Jacques Berry says the structural integrity of the capitol is good, unfortunately small pieces of the mortar are flaking off.
“While we work on funding to complete that phase of the project, we needed to do something to make sure that we can come and go out of those front doors again,” said Berry.
Berry says the state legislature will have to appropriate the 40 to 60-million dollars to repair the falling mortar, so in the meantime, a temporary covered walkway will protect those going through the capitol’s front doors.
“Very small pieces, but you still don’t want to hit any tourists or lawyers or anything like that,” said Berry.
Berry says the Capitol is a National Historic Landmark, so they hope the legislature will fund the money that’s needed to fix the 34-story building.
“We can’t leave this temporary structure for anymore than five years, because historical people don’t want ugly things like that attached to their buildings’ said Berry.
