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Final phase of Indiana Statehouse renovations underway

Workers repairing Statehouse roof

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Crews are beginning the fourth and final phase of repairs to the 136-year-old Indiana Statehouse building that began back in 2018.

Crews are are repairing the gutters, cleaning the windows, and cleaning the dome, along with doing some chimney and masonry work. They are also spot-patching and repairing the roof where needed.

The last three phases included cleaning and fixing the limestone façade, rebuilding stairways and doors, replacing joint seals, and installing water infiltration barriers under the staircases. Those repairs cost $10.8 million.

According to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, the two-tiered dome extends 243 feet above the ground. A massive crane on the Statehouse grounds helped put up the scaffolding crews are using to do the work.

The Chronicle said Indiana’s capitol dome was reclad in copper in 1978, but exposure to the weather caused it to change to green over time, similarly to the Statue of Liberty in New York City.