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Construction on South Lawn of the Gardens

Work is repairing leaking pipes; other areas of gardens open to the public

The South Lawn of Duke Gardens is temporarily closed.

Part of the Duke Gardens' beauty comes from the fact it resides in a valley on campus. That also means it's prone to flooding after heavy rains. The South Lawn gets the worse of the flooding, in part because the old underground piping leaks. The lawn gets damp, and water is wasted.

To resolve the problem, construction is underway on the South Lawn to replace two large drainage pipes under the lawn and to add a "Cambridge Drainage System" to help take the run-off from the surrounding university and funnel into the storm water system. While the work is ongoing, the lawn area has been roped off to public access.

Construction will be done in the next two weeks, with public events returning to the lawn in April, according to Paul Kartcheske, the gardens' associate director. All other areas of the Gardens remain open to the public.