Features

Las Vegas Stadium work nears halfway mark

Construction work on the Oakland Raiders’ new stadium in Las Vegas is nearing the halfway stage, according to a representative of the NFL team.

Don Webb, chief operating officer of the Las Vegas Stadium Co., a subsidiary of the Raiders, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper that almost half of the money has been spent on the stadium, which will have a capacity of 65,000.

The project is expected to cost $1.8bn (£1.4bn/€1.6bn), with the Raiders hoping to move there in time for the 2020 NFL season. Webb said construction work, which began in November 2017, is currently 44 per cent completed.

So far, eleven of the 26 canopy trusses that will enclose the stadium perimeter have been fitted, with Webb stating last month that he hopes they will all be in place by July 31.

The stadium will feature a translucent roof, which will be supported by the trusses. The Review-Journal noted that the roof will be put together on the stadium floor before being lifted into place.

The Raiders will continue playing at the Oakland Coliseum while work is carried out on the Las Vegas Stadium. The team had technically been without a home for the 2019 campaign after its Coliseum lease expired on February 13 but it eventually agreed a deal with the stadium authority board to continue playing there for at least another season.

Image: Las Vegas Stadium