A major parking garage in Stamford will stay closed for another six months.

Part of the garage at the Stamford train station has been closed since April, after chunks of concrete fell from the ceiling. Due to the incident, more than 700 daily parking spots are off limits.

The Department of Transportation says that the repair project will conclude next May and will cost $1.5 million. They say only a third of the spots will reopen following the repairs.

John Hartwell, of the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council, says riders thought repairs would be done by now.

The DOT says it had to perform extensive testing to see if any of the garage could be reopened.

Hartwell is confused by the DOT's plans because he doesn't understand why they would spend such a large sum on a facility that they intend to tear down.

"The bigger question though: why is the state even repairing this garage when plans call for replacing it with a half-billion-dollar redevelopment project?" says Hartwell. "That project has been stalled for two years because of squabbling between the city and state. For commuters caught in the middle, there is at least private parking down the street."

Another inconvenience riders will face is that once the repair work begins, a nearby pedestrian walkway and stairs will also be closed throughout the winter.