JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A $16,000 security door installed in the Missouri Capitol in response to the Sept. 11 attacks is being removed after numerous complaints by state lawmakers and employees.

The state Office of Administration said Thursday that the South African-made door simply hadn't worked as expected. It was to be removed Friday.

Lawmakers and staff complained about its cost and inconvenience after The Associated Press first reported that the door had been installed three weeks ago.

Large people couldn't fit into the special chamber, so they were given a special code that swung the door wide open.

The glassed chamber also was too small to accommodate some people with packages or briefcases, so a hole had been cut in a nearby wall to allow items to be passed through.

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, one of the most vocal critics of the door, said he was "elated" by the announcement that it would be taken down.

"The lesson learned is that there needs to be upfront communication and cooperation between the executive branch and us," said Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau. "That was missing this time and there has been a pledge that that there will be communication in the future."

The door is to be returned to an American distributor at a cost to the state of between $1,000 and $2,000 for shipping, handling and other expenses, said Dave Mosby, the Capitol complex operations manager. The state will not have to pay the $16,000 bill for the door itself, he said.