Construction workers wearing neon orange and lime green were still bustling around the Oregon Capitol this week as a half a billion dollar construction project enters its final months. The three-phase, $598 million project upgraded the building’s infrastructure, added more accessible features a nd reinforced it against future earthquakes. Construction began in 2016 and is set to wrap up Feb. 2, 2026, at the start of the next legislative session.  On Tuesday, Dec. 2, around 100 builders were still on site buffing the floors, painting walls and working in the courtyards. Some 2,500 workers in total have brought the project to life since its inception. A project engineer working on the Capitol’s ongoing construction project looks over plans as builders in the courtyard work behind him on Tuesday, Dec. 2. He is one of the some 2,500 people who have worked on the project over a decade-long period. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) In recent months, the work became evident from miles away when the iconic Gold Man on the building’s crown was covered with a tarp. He was first veiled in mid-June, and uncovered Nov. 17 after months tucked away. Rumors swirled about his whereabouts, but Jodie Jones, Capitol Accessibility, Maintenance and Safety project director, asserted he never left his post atop the rotunda.  The Gold Man is on full display on Thursday, Nov. 20, a day after he was unveiled for the first time in five months. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) The statue was anchored for earthquake safety and partially regilded. He was one of many areas of the Capitol being repaired in the final phase of the project.  Phase one, approved for funding in 2016, included upgrades for accessibility, security and outdated building mechanics, as well as repairs to the interior rotunda. Funding for phase two was approved in 2020. It included some office renovations, additional infrastructure updates and some earthquake reinforcements.  Phase three was the most extensive and costly, with lawmakers approving spending about $465 million in 2022. It led to various building closures on the heels of the pandemic, leaving the rotunda and other public areas of the Capitol large inaccessible for years.  The rotunda of the Capitol is decorated for the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony – the first since 2019. The Noble fir is the largest the Capitol has ever seen at 40 feet tall. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) Construction included a complete excavation of the basement level plus another 20 feet dug below it to accommodate earthquake reinforcements and higher ceilings for the new level.  Workers excavated 36,000 cubic yards of dirt and other material from the basement, divided among 2,400 dump truck loads.  They installed 160 base isolators below the basement, located beneath the central portion of the building, completed in 1938. After excavation, the first, second and third floors were essentially supported by stilts, Jones said. The transformed basement has higher ceilings, with added skylights for natural light and several new amenities – including a cafe, five hearing rooms and large meeting spaces to draw visitors, building employees, press and legislative staff. Jones expects the basement floor to become just as busy as the first. A construction worker walks through the halls of the Capitol’s recently-transformed basement. The original floor plus another 20 feet below was excavated to make room for higher ceilings and seismic reinforcements. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) The Capitol cafe is still being worked on as the building’s extensive 10-year construction project nears completion. The cafe is part of the new basement level added in the final phase of the three-tiered project. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) Entry is restricted for one of the Capitol’s ground-level courtyards as construction work continues. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) About 30% of staff working in the Capitol have yet to see the building fully open, Jones said. With its newly-installed seismic safeguards, Jones said the building could withstand another 5.3 magnitude event like the Scotts Mills earthquake, which shook the Capitol in 1993 and cracked its rotunda. In the event of the famed “Big One” earthquake, the Capitol could hold up long enough for people inside to escape, Jones said. The region has a 37% chance of seeing a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake above 7.1 magnitude in the next 50 years. Other minor repairs and remodels will be seen after the session concludes, Jones said. The North plaza will remain under construction, with its opening expected around mid-March.  The sun shines through the windows of the Capitol’s Senate chambers as construction on the building continues. The House and Senate chambers were largely unaffected by the construction. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) Work on one of the Capitol’s ground-level courtyards is in full swing as the 10-year construction project nears its end. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) Scaffolding still surrounds the Gold Man on Thursday Nov. 20, a day after it was unveiled for the first time since June. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) Workers walk through the parking garage of the Capitol. Around 100 workers were on the property that day. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) A “wet paint” sign in the basement level of the Capitol lightheartedly reads, “Workers bark and bite ha ha.” (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) A hearing room on the newly-transformed basement level of the Capitol is fully finished. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) A worker buffs the floors on the ground level of the Capitol. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) Construction signs block off the sidewalk near the Capitol’s north plaza on Thursday, Nov. 20, as the recently-unveiled Gold Man is in full view just behind. The plaza is expected to reopen in mid-March, just in time for cherry blossom season. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) The Capitol rotunda’s colors shine bright after receiving a fresh coat of paint during phase one of the building’s 10-year construction project. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) Work continues in the rotunda of the Capitol as employees prepare the room for the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) The Gold Man is fully uncovered after five months concealed under a tarp. The statue was secured for earthquake safety and regilded in some areas. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) A cart of wood rests next to artwork on the second floor of the Capitol – serving as one of many signs of the ongoing construction. (HAILEY COOK/Salem Reporter) Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the timeframe for the project in one reference. Salem Reporter apologizes for the error. Have a news tip? Contact reporter Hailey Cook: [email protected] . A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE – If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post Oregon Capitol nears a full open after decade-long construction project appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less