Reconstruction work on the HUB’s exterior bridge and balcony encountered delays and will not be finished until the middle of the month.

Director of Projects Scott Nobel says the construction “is focused on repairs and maintenance. Deterioration of existing conditions caused loose and uneven materials on the walking surfaces.”

However, Nobel says, once the work began, “an unforeseen condition occurred that resulted in a one month project completion extension.” He says the problems were discovered “upon removal of the existing balcony walking surface, [where] secondary support angles for the vertical stone fascia panels and the panels themselves were found to be deteriorating.”

Taylor Hunkins ’17 thinks the ongoing renovations are “so annoying… I think it had definitely made my walks from the academic quads to the library longer in part because I have to circumnavigate the building but also because I spend a good 30 seconds looking at the unfinished stairs and complaining [about] how much it inconveniences me.”

A jobsite foreman maintained that repairing the precast panels of the facade took the longest to complete and delayed the overall project.

The cement of the walking surface is now drying, the jobsite foreman said. The cement must dry slowly in order to prevent cracks, he explained.

The foreman continued that after the cement is dry, a sealant will be applied to the concrete to prevent moisture from permeating the concrete and causing damage to the passageway in the future.

When the project is completed, students will be able to use the passageway as usual.

An electrical foreman said that new LED lights are being installed as part of the project.

“The new lights look cooler,” the foreman said.

He maintained that the new LED lights will be more energy efficient than the halogen lights they are replacing.

“I appreciate the fact that they are improving lighting because I do remember that it was very dark down there,” said Garrett Filippini ’19.

The project is scheduled to be completed later this month.