We stayed at the DLH about two weeks ago. They were almost halfway done with the first tower (at least externally), changing the pseudo-balconies to full blue-glass windows that look fabulous. They are working on one vertical half of one tower at a time.
They had the area just under the work zone walled off (falling debris, dumpsters, the like), but it didn't impede walking through that area. I think I saw the access road east of that tower closed one time we walked by, but most of the time you could completely walk around the tower.
I didn't think it affected our stay in the least. We weren't stay in the tower being worked on (we were in Wonder), but I didn't hear any noise unless I was walking right under that area during daytime work hours. Didn't seem to be affecting or closing any public areas.
PHXscuba