Gateway Arch, Old Courthouse closed amid government shutdown

ST. LOUIS - Friday marks the third day of the government shutdown, with Congress expected to vote on another spending bill. The shutdown has led to the closure of federally run sites nationwide, including the Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse in St. Louis.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are still deadlocked over Obamacare and Medicaid funding, leaving travelers and workers in limbo.

The Gateway Arch, a symbol of the city, has its doors locked and tram rides suspended as part of the government shutdown that began earlier this week. Visitors can still walk the grounds of Gateway Arch National Park, but both the Arch and the Old Courthouse are closed to the public.

During past shutdowns in 2013, 2018, and 2019, national parks across the country were also forced to close.

By law, federal agencies must halt operations and furlough 'non-excepted' employees during a shutdown, while essential workers may stay on the job but won't be paid until the shutdown ends.

If the spending bill doesn't pass Friday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune says lawmakers won't meet through the weekend, instead voting again on Monday, prolonging the shutdown while still being paid.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published.