Topeka ? The east wing of the Statehouse will be closed to the public starting Monday, as a nine-year, $135 million renovation of the building continues.

Work on a new underground parking garage on the Capitol’s north side also continues, with officials expecting it to be open to vehicles in April, two months ahead of schedule.

The construction in the east wing will force visitors and people who work in the Statehouse to use the first-floor’s west entrance, where the state has installed new double doors for security.

“There’s really no way around it, to do the kind of restoration work we have to do,” House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, said Friday.

The renovation will replace aging heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical systems, while giving parts of the building a more historic appearance. The state hopes the work also will result in better legislative offices and committee rooms.

The east wing, which houses the Senate chamber, is the oldest part of the building, begun in 1866, occupied in 1870 and finished in 1873.

Construction of the west wing began in 1879 and work on the center section started in 1885. The dome wasn’t complete until 1903.

Senate leaders and staff have moved their offices from the east wing’s third and fourth floors to the north wing of the second floor. They’ll move back in January, but only for the 2004 session.

Plans call for finishing work on the east wing by July 2005.

The east wing work represents the second phase of the Statehouse renovation. The first phase included the parking garage, which will have two levels and space for 551 vehicles.

Though some of the work continues outdoors, Statehouse architect Barry Greis said construction crews were not anticipating any significant delays with the first phase, even with the onset of winter weather.

The garage originally drew criticism because of its $15 million cost, financed with bonds. However, Mays noted that visitor parking on the Statehouse grounds traditionally had been limited to only 10 or 15 spaces, but the garage would allow for dozens more.

“As far as the public goes, it should be a big improvement,” he said.