The Knox County Courthouse will close today at 4:30 p.m. and remain closed through the weekend after contractors discovered a collapsed sewer line and an underground void beneath a portion of the building’s foundation.
Knox County Board Chairman Jared Hawkinson and Sheriff Jack Harlan announced the temporary closure Thursday. The courthouse is expected to reopen for normal operations at 8:30 a.m. Monday, May 11.
“The current problem that’s forcing the temporary closure was exposed as a result of sawing some concrete to run new sewer lines from a previous sewer line failure within the facility — and then exposed this void that who knows how long has been there,” Hawkinson told WGIL Thursday.
The issue was discovered during the ongoing restroom renovation project at the courthouse. Structural engineers from multiple firms, representatives from the Galesburg Sanitary District, and environmental consultants were brought in to evaluate conditions and develop a remediation plan.
Engineers determined there is no immediate structural safety hazard associated with the underground void. However, remediation requires excavation, underground stabilization work, and filling portions of the void with soil, rock, and concrete. Because heavy equipment is involved, structural engineers recommended vacating areas directly above the remediation zone during this phase of work.
Additional precautionary measures have included multiple rounds of air quality sampling and ground-penetrating radar scanning to confirm no additional underground voids exist beneath the courthouse floor.
Entry to the facility is completely restricted to those involved in the remediation process. All Knox County offices — including the recorder’s office, county clerk, treasurer, and circuit clerk — will be unavailable in person through the weekend.
Hawkinson said most services can be handled electronically, but anything that cannot will need to wait until Monday. Anyone with court or court-related services scheduled for Friday, May 8, is asked to contact the Knox County Circuit Clerk’s office for additional information.
Portable restroom trailers remain available on the west side of the courthouse for employees and visitors, accessible in coordination with the Sheriff’s Office.
WGIL has previously reported on the courthouse restroom renovation project. Read that story here.
