Repairs, cleaning limit access to Capitol Building starting Aug. 5

There will be limited access to the north entrance of the Legislative (Capitol) Building from mid-August until the end of October while a contractor cleans and repairs exterior surfaces nearby.

This is the second phase of a project started last summer to clean and repair the exterior of the historic building.

This phase of work will clean the stairs and exterior walls on the north side of the building. It will also remove and replace the existing mortar and sealant, and repair a portion of the stair's waterproof membrane. Other impacts include noise from pressure washing and stone cutting, and some dust.

Enterprise Services successfully completed the cleaning and mortar replacement of the upper two-thirds of the building last fall. Phase two of this work begins Aug. 5 and is scheduled to be completed in late October.

The contractor's current plans call for closing half of the north stairs and plaza at a time, leaving the other half open for access to and from the building. However, only one of the two north doors will be open during the project.

A combination of weather and organic growth has damaged the mortar joints allowing water to infiltrate the building exterior. The mortar joints were last replaced in the 1990s.

The cleaning and repairs will be done using the gentlest means possible to protect the historic sandstone, and to keep the 85-five-year-old building beautiful and functional for future generations.

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