SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Paint is being blamed for deteriorating brick that supports the Illinois Capitol’s north entrance.
The (Springfield) State Journal Register reports the state doesn’t yet know when the brick work will be fixed or the cost.
A St. Louis-based engineering firm has determined paint on the brick ceiling of a pump room underneath the entrance to the north doors is the cause of the damage. The paint trapped moisture, causing the brick to crumble. The firm has outlined three possible fixes, but hasn’t yet giving cost estimates for the solutions.
Only people with state-issued badges can access north doors. Tour groups and rally participants are being directed to other entrances.
An Illinois Secretary of State spokesman says the painting was done sometime in the 1970s or early to mid-1980s.
