If you’ve driven around the State Capitol in the last year you’ve likely noticed a lot of construction. Well, work on four separate projects is wrapping up just in time for the start of the new legislative session and the inauguration of Gov. Nathan Deal.

State property manager Steve Stancil says it’s the most work done on the Capitol grounds since Jimmy Carter was governor and the twin towers of the Sloppy Floyd Building were built.

Construction is near complete on the new Liberty Plaza across from the Capitol’s east steps.  A 1950’s era parking deck was demolished earlier this year to make way for the new plaza where groups can gather for rallies or protests.  It will also be the site for the inauguration ceremonies next month.

Also nearly complete is the new home for the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.  It’s the former home to the Georgia Department of Transportation, the second oldest building on Capitol grounds.

“We have completely gutted it and started over,” Stancil tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish.

Staff of OPB will be moving in during the first week of the legislative session.

A major undertaking at the Capitol itself is a project to rehab the west steps, considered the “front door” of the building. The steps had begun sagging due to little support underneath.

“We had that propped together with four by fours and four by sixes and it was an unsafe situation,” he says.

Concrete has been poured underneath and the entire plaza area redone.

Finally, there’s a new ADA-accessible ramp for the Coverdale Legislative Office Building.  Up until now, those in wheelchairs had to go around the building to find a ramp to get inside.

“That’s been a terrible problem for folks with disabilities being able to go to meet with legislators and go to committee meetings; so, we’re going to fix that correctly for the first time,” says Stancil.

He says bond money was mostly used to pay for the $17 million in construction projects.