The Alamo is getting a facelift. The Texas Legislature approved $5 million for upgrading bathrooms so they are ADA compliant, structural repairs, preservation work, and adding fiber optics.
Preservation and structural work began Monday on the aging Alamo. Visitors will see scaffolding for the next few months, but the Alamo is open to the public.
Texas General Land Office spokeswoman Brittany Eck says some of the work addresses safety concerns at the Alamo Research Center.
"There is a canopy, a patio, over the front doorway, and that is made out of concrete and tile, and that is actually very compromised," she said. "It is at risk of some of the concrete falling and hitting somebody, if somebody were to walk underneath there."
Eck says some of the deterioration at the Alamo is due to rain and general wear and tear on a structure built in the 1700s.
"While there are ongoing construction and preservation projects happening at the Alamo, it shouldn’t inhibit the visitor experience in one bit," she said. "In fact, it’s really an exciting time for folks to come out and see what is changing at the Alamo and see the improvement."
Eck says the work will continue through the summer.