UC Berkeley Web Feature

A pedestrian enjoys the first day of Sproul Plaza's reopening to the public after three months of rehabilitation. (Steve McConnell photos)

New paving stones replace the uneven asphalt at the north and south ends of Sproul Plaza. Left: Information kiosks have been repaired and relocated.

Sproul Plaza facelift nears completion

Construction crews are nearing the finish line in their million-dollar overhaul of Sproul Plaza, the vibrant heart of the UC Berkeley campus. Construction fences came down at the end of June after the plaza's potholed surface was repaved and other safety and accessibility improvements were completed. Only a handful of minor tasks remain, including applying the final coat of blue paint to the shrink-wrapped information kiosks.

Improving the plaza was one of the final deeds of outgoing Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl, who was eager to leave the historic gateway to campus "ready for decades of more celebrations, rallies and protests." Read more about the Sproul rehab project >

Sightlines in front of Sproul Hall have been improved by lowering the lights and replacing juniper bushes with grass. Left: The new plaza's black paving stones with diagonal red brick accents are a mirror image of the brick surface (background) that remains directly in front of Sproul Hall. The new pavers, unlike the lumpy asphalt they replaced, can be removed and replaced individually if repairs become necessary.

A worker takes a break on one of the refurbished benches lining the eastern edge of the plaza.