Visitors to the Louisiana Capitol may have noticed that scaffolding used to restore the building's limestone and mortar is gone. But work is still needed on the 86 year old building, so a new walkway is being built to shelter those walking into the front doors from falling mortar. Louisiana Division of Administration spokesman Jacques Berry says the front doors are expected to be reopened before the end of the calendar year.

"Some of it can flake off and fall down and we don't want that falling on anybody.  So, until we devise a temporary solution, the doors are still inaccessible at the top of the steps," says Berry.

Berry says with the new covered walkway, those entering the building will be able to walk from the first platform at the steps to the doorway.

"We'll be able to start letting people come and go through the front doors.  A lot of staff use the doors in addition to the tourists," says Berry.

Berry says the building is designed to sway a little bit, and when that happens, that’s when you see the chunks of mortar fall.

"The mortar is so old that is flaking off, and it does that in the form of small little pieces of rock about the size of a piece of driveway gravel.  We don't want those falling on anybody," says Berry.

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