The operator of the under-construction Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta has announced it is to evaluate the retractable roof system at the 71,000-seat venue.
Georgia World Congress Centre Authority (GWCCA), which also has responsibility for the Georgia Dome and Centennial Olympic Park, will run the new home of NFL American football franchise the Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer team Atlanta United.
However, although the $1.6bn (£1.3bn/€1.5bn) venue is due to open this summer, the Atlanta Business Chronicle newspaper reports that concerns have been raised by the GWCCA over delays caused by construction of a complex roof system at the new facility.
Design plans state that metal panels for the roof should be able to open and close completely in less than 10 minutes, but the newspaper said work on the system is taking longer than expected and the opening date has been pushed back to June.
Officials working on the project said many parts of the stadium are already complete and the roof will work as designed.
In addition, a spokesperson for Arthur Blank, owner of the Falcons and Atlanta United, said that the event timeline for the new venue remains unchanged despite the reported delay. The stadium’s first official event will be an Atlanta United game on July 30.
The venue will contain the world’s largest LED screen, with the Daktronics video display measuring in at 58ft high by 1,075ft in circumference, offering a total of 61,900sq ft of display space.
Share this