Keyser Quad, breezeway to reopen as 14-month renovation project winds down

The 200-foot-long trench is filled, the construction fence is coming down, and soon people will be able to cut across Keyser Quad again.

The bulk of the 14-month Krieger Waterproofing and Colonnade Restoration Project has been completed, and on Saturday, entrances to Krieger and Ames halls, the breezeway between the two buildings, and walkways in the area will reopen.

In the weeks following, Johns Hopkins Facilities and Real Estate will remove the temporary staircases that provided pedestrian access during the project, plant trees to replace ones that were removed, and complete other restoration work around the site. People will need to stay off the grassy areas until the new sod takes root.

"We are very appreciative of our community's patience and understanding as we made these essential repairs," Bob McLean, vice president for Facilities and Real Estate, wrote in a message to the university community.

The major renovation project began in May 2016 because Krieger Hall, one of the oldest buildings on the Homewood campus, had water infiltrating the floors below ground level. The adjacent colonnade also had water damage.

To access the lower floors of Krieger, the construction team dug an excavation approximately 27 feet deep along the north side of the building. They also needed to disassemble the colonnade, repair and waterproof its foundation, and reconstruct it. The staging area for materials took up a significant portion of the quad and displaced activities that usually occur there.

Now a new waterproofing system will protect the classroom, lab, and office space on the lower floors of Krieger and keep the structure sound for the long term. Long-standing drainage issues have been corrected, and five classrooms have been renovated. The colonnade is back in place.