There is good news concerning the construction of the roof at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, as the last piece of structural steel for the retractable portion has been installed.
Construction crews are working to complete Mercedes-Benz Stadium in time for the Atlanta Falcons‘ first home pre-season game in August. An earlier forecast had the stadium opening on July 30 with a home match for MLS’ Atlanta United FC, but it was revealed last month that the debut of the facility would be pushed back to August 26.
Progress has been made in the time since that announcement, something that was evident on Wednesday. The day was highlighted by the placement of the last piece of structural steel for the retractable portion of the roof at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a turning point in what has been a complex construction process. Bill Darden, the president of Darden & Company, emphasized that additional tasks need to be completed, but said that Wednesday’s milestone should help the stadium’s construction schedule. More from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
While considerable work remains to be done on the retractable roof of the new Falcons stadium, Darden said the installation of the final piece of roof structural steel, which “also happens to be the last structural steel for the whole building,” was a cause for celebration.
“Oh my goodness, absolutely, it’s huge,” he said. “It’s huge factually and schedule-wise, and it’s huge emotionally.
“This is a wonderful celebration because you have to get the steel up in order to finish the roof. We enjoyed it for about an hour and 20 minutes … and then we go right back to the next thing in line and we just keep going. But you’ve got to take time and thank the workers.”
The roof contains a mind-boggling 27,000 tons of steel.
The Falcons will play preseason games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 26 and August 31. The stadium will then host two high-profile NCAA matchups, starting with Alabama and Florida State on September 2, followed by Tennessee and Georgia Tech on September 4. Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s regular season NFL debut will feature the Falcons taking on the Green Bay Packers on September 17.
RELATED STORIES: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Debut Delayed Until August; No Delays Expected for Mercedes-Benz Stadium Football Slate; Best of 2016: #9, Mercedes-Benz Stadium; Falcons Nearing $1 Billion in Mercedes-Benz Stadium Sponsorships; Work on Mercedes-Benz Stadium Roof Underway; Construction of Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Schedule; Falcons Confident in June, 2017 Opening for New Stadium; Falcons Plan for Delays in Opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium; Falcons: New Stadium Will Open in June 2017;Falcons Spend $200 Million Extra on Mercedes-Benz Stadium Construction; Future Super Bowls to Showcase NFL’s Finest Stadiums; Falcons Cooking up Concession Deals for Mercedes-Benz Stadium; Mercedes-Benz Stadium construction schedule slips; Preview: Mercedes-Benz Stadium