South Prairie Street is closed to through traffic between East Main and East Simmons streets as façade repairs begin on the Weinberg Arcade building at the corner of Prairie and Simmons.

Traffic barriers close part of South Prairie Street near the Weinberg Arcade building in Galesburg as façade repairs get underway. (Photo by Deborah Moreno/GCN)

The multi-month closures are expected to affect downtown traffic patterns and access to nearby businesses during the project.

The closure is limited to the frontage of the building. City officials said Prairie Street is expected to remain closed for about two months while work is completed on the building’s east side.

Once that phase is finished, Prairie Street will reopen and both lanes of the portion of East Simmons Street adjacent to the building will close for approximately six weeks as work shifts to the south side.

Both traffic lanes and the sidewalk nearest the building are closed during construction to allow contractor access and ensure public safety.

To reduce disruption, the city has coordinated with the contractor to reopen the roadway on weekends when construction is not active. Streets are expected to reopen Friday afternoons and close again Monday mornings.

Access to public parking lots in the 100 and 200 blocks of East Simmons Street will be maintained throughout the project.

City officials said they aim to maintain accessibility during the repairs and thanked residents for their patience as work is completed on the historic building.