"The people who designed it never anticipated the use we get on it now. We have inaugurations, we have demonstrations, we have concerts, and it has compacted the soil to the point that it is actually the consistency of concrete," Johnson said.

Partial fencing, Independence Celebration

And while fences and an extra entrance are being added, part of the Mall will be inaccessible on Independence Day.

"The big difference this year is that people won't be able to stand from 3rd-7th [streets]," Johnson added. "But we're confident that there's enough room for everybody."

The construction may be inconvenient, but many say the final product will be worth the wait.

"Well, it's a bit little difficult to get around, but otherwise, it looks like they're doing a good job with it. So, hopefully it will look great when they're done and we'll get back one year when they're all finished with it," tourist Paul Brown said.

The Reflecting Pool will be finished in August, and crews will complete the other two projects by the end of the year [2012].