Vikings stadium construction shifting into high gear

Stadium-cam
Work on the stadium as of May 27, 2014 (EarthCam image)

The workforce on the Vikings stadium in downtown Minneapolis is about to increase dramatically. An average of 325 workers a day have worked on the site this spring, but that number will more than triple over the rest of the year as the structural steel starts to rise.

"I would say late this year, early next year, we plan to spike to about 1,000 or so people," said Alex Tittle, the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority equity director, in a report to the board this morning. Part of his job is helping monitor and prepare minority, women and veteran employment on the project.

Excavation is complete and concrete work is underway. About 15,000 cubic yards of concrete are in place -- out of about 100,000 cubic yards planned for the new stadium. The concrete expanse includes a massive buttress foundation going in on the west side of the stadium today.

About half of the drilled piers that the stadium will stand on are also completed. A fifth tower crane will go up in the next couple of weeks, to be joined by a group of mobile cranes trucked in next month. Those cranes will erect the steel superstructure that will hold up the stadium's roof.

Here's the full-length construction update from Mortenson Construction's Allen Troshinsky this morning.

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