When will St. Clair County Courthouse entrances reopen after construction delays?
The ongoing construction project at the St. Clair County Courthouse in Belleville has been delayed, resulting in the main entrances being closed longer than officials anticipated.
The county plans to expand the lobby and improve the security checkpoint before people can enter the building’s offices or courtrooms as part of the project. Crews are creating a street-level entrance on the southwest side of the building after demolishing the courthouse’s exterior steps.
The biggest challenges have included unforeseen site conditions, specialty materials procurement and weather, County Buildings Director Jim Brede said in a statement to the BND.
The southwest doors at the corner of South First and West Washington streets are now expected to reopen in January. The initial plan was to reopen them in the spring after closing that entrance to the public on March 11, 2024.
Work was supposed to begin at the northeast entrance, across from the fountain in Belleville’s Public Square, when the southwest entrance reopened. But officials are now overlapping work at both entrances to limit the impact of schedule delays, according to Brede.
The northwest entrance closed Sept. 15, and a temporary entrance at a door on the southeast side of the building closest to Illinois Street has been the only way to access the building since then.
Officials now anticipate the northwest doors will reopen in April.
The county continues to provide updates on construction and building access at its website, www.co.st-clair.il.us.
