Those beautiful new stairs at the entrance of Town Hall? Get ready to use them.

The ramp connecting Town Hall with Peirce Street is closed for the next two months for extensive repairs, making access to the building more challenging during that time.

Work on the ramp began on Monday. The parking lot, ramp and both entrances on the west side of the building are blocked of for the duration of the construction, which is being carried out by Martone Construction at a cost of about $65,000. The ramp had been failing for some time, with netting in place below to catch falling debris.

If the stairs on the Main Street side are too daunting, there is an alternate entrance open during construction, off Courthouse Lane. That door will lead visitors into the basement of Town Hall, home of the Planning Department. If you need access to the other levels, there's an elevator. The alternate entrance – together with a newly designated handicapped parking space in front of Town Hall – makes it possible, if not particularly easy, for someone in a wheelchair to enter Town Hall.

Public Works Director Joe Duarte predicts the work will be completed by mid-November.