Industry News

New Chargers, Rams stadium begins to take shape

Favourable winter weather in California has allowed work on the future home of NFL American football teams the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers in Inglewood to progress in recent months.

Last year, poor weather in the winter months forced project managers to push the opening date for the new venue back to 2020. However, after a dry winter this year, construction is moving along and the stadium is starting to take shape.

Builders working on the site yesterday (Wednesday) revealed to the media that around six million cubic yards of dirt has been excavated at the site and 45,000 cubic yards of concrete has been poured, while eight cranes are currently being used to support construction.

The structural retaining that will support the main stadium is now 65 per cent complete, while the outline of the ovular structure is also starting to take shape, according to Curbed Los Angeles.

At present, approximately 850 workers are based at the site on an average day, but this number is expected to quadruple next year as construction moves to the next stage when a huge glass roof canopy is installed.

Quoted by the LA Times newspaper, Chargers owner Dean Spanos said: “It’s for real. Just to look at it, you see the size and enormity of this project. You can’t describe it unless you’re here to see it for it yourself.

“Knowing that in 2020 we’re going to be playing here, it’s pretty exciting.”

The overall project is expected to cost a total of $2.6bn (€2.2bn/£1.9bn), with the main stadium to be accompanied by a surrounding entertainment district and urban village. The complex will represent the most expensive ever built in the NFL, while the stadium will be the largest in professional American football.