Work to fit giant steel roof trusses to the Forsyth Barr
Stadium is months behind schedule, but Carisbrook Stadium
Trust (CST) chairman Malcolm Farry insists the setback is not
critical.
Mr Farry yesterday confirmed the first of five arch trusses -
part of the roof steelwork linking the north and south stands
- was not expected to be hoisted into position until next
week.
That would make the lift nearly three months behind schedule,
when compared with a stadium construction programme presented
to the Dunedin City Council by CST staff last October.
That programme had the first arch scheduled for placement
above the stadium's playing pitch area by May 7, followed by
two more arches by May 25 and July 1.
To keep to that October timetable, three of the five arches
should have been in position by yesterday, with 50% of the
playing area cleared.
Mr Farry said the first of the arches was now expected to be
in place next week, but the exact date was "not yet
confirmed".
"The contractors have got to have everything perfect on the
ground before they start the lift."
The first of three Rugby World Cup 2011 matches scheduled for
Dunedin - Scotland v Georgia - will be played on September
14.
If the Forsyth Barr Stadium is not completed in time, those
matches will be staged at Carisbrook.
Mr Farry said the timing of individual construction
components could, and did, shift, without threatening the
completion date, August 1 next year.
Delays could be offset by quicker progress in other areas,
but the key was to hit major milestones along the
construction critical path.
For the roof, that meant having the completed structure in
place by November or December, to allow grass for the turf to
be sown, he said.
"The stages to reach that milestone are less critical.
"Even if you miss the [roof] deadline for the end of the
year, it still doesn't mean we are not going to make
completion date.
"It just means ... they probably have to put something aside
for a period of time and just put every focus on the roof,"
Mr Farry said.
Asked if multiple missed deadlines would have a concertina
effect, adding more pressure to later deadlines, Mr Farry
acknowledged it "would eventually".
"But there's no indication of that," he said.
A progress report to be presented to Monday's finance and
strategy committee meeting said the project remained on time
and within budget, and Mr Farry said yesterday he remained
"100%" confident the venue would be ready.
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