Crews have assembled a towering 80-ton crane on the site of the new University of New Hampshire (UNH) Stadium this week. The crane began lifting into place the steel that will form the skeleton of the building and help bring the multipurpose facility to life.
“Now it begins to look like something is happening,” said Eric Price, superintendent of the project for contractor PC Construction.
The steel began arriving on site from Canada early Wednesday morning (September 2).
The erecting of the steel, beginning from the scoreboard end of the stadium and rising at first to the concourse level, will take a few months, Price said. As the steel goes up, work will also begin on framing, sheathing, masonry and other chores with a goal of closing in the building by early winter, likely after the new year.
Workers have also been busy in the area where tennis courts have been removed near the scoreboard, which will be cleaned up and covered with wood chips for this season.
A ticket booth and entrance will eventually stand at that end of the stadium, which is due to be finished next summer, in time for the 2016 season.
This year, fans will be able watch the stadium’s progression game-to-game as it rises across the field on what formerly was the visitors’ side.
The steel began going up just as the Wildcats are finishing final preparations for the start of the 2015 season.
September 4, 2015
