An elevator project in the Carbon County Courthouse will begin next month, officials said.

On Thursday, the county commissioners approved a change order to the contract with Current Elevator Technology of Milford at a cost of $32,963.60. This is due to credit for a plunge gripper and installing an elevator jack.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that the project is scheduled to begin the middle of March.

Commissioner Chris Lukasevich said that a sign regarding the project has been posted on the courthouse in anticipation of the project and this allows visitors more time to prepare for it.

Nothstein added that the action at the meeting was because it wasn’t deep enough to use the current cylinder.

“Big safety issue,” Lukasevich said.

The commissioners hired Current Elevator Technology in September, as well as Bognet Inc. of Hazle Township and Billitier Electric of Rochester, New York, as part of a nearly $300,000 elevator replacement project in the courthouse.

The aging elevator will take approximately six weeks to complete once the project kicks off.

To prepare for noise conditions that could affect court cases, the board last month, approved an appraisal from Person Agency of 530 Coal St., Lehighton, which would be used to temporarily relocate Judge Joseph Matika’s courtroom.

The county is also in negotiations with Jim Thorpe Borough for use of Memorial Hall for jury selection and trials in March and April.

At council’s meeting last month, the borough set a rental rate of $500 a day, but there has been no formal action yet by the county.

At that meeting, Borough Manager Maureen Sterner told council that the county requested two weeks in March and one in April, with each of those weeks being four days in length.