I love Rome, but I get the feeling, that only my grandchildren will get to use the improved entrance.
After a year, they are still working on the Spanish steps (I went in feb 2005 and march 2006). They are still "restoring" Ara pacis for how many years? I can see a better picture in my History of Art book than I could get by going there. But then again it is 2000 years old so what's the hurry? Last year you could approach one of the windows and look in. Now the contruction is all around so that you can't even get close. They are going to have to really bust some ass if they are going to finish by the end of April like scheduled. But then again this is only probably a "guideline".
These treasures from the past belong to everyone now jsut the current Romans/Italians. I am half Italian myself. Why not make it into an entreupernerial enterprise and charge foreigners more? Most of us probably wouldn't care if we actually got to see the site/object. . Often one spends thousand of dollars and getting there and excited for months only to get to the location and find that it is being "restored" or having to look at an object from 10 feet way through the slats of a padlocked door; Better views are available on the web. if only you would have known.