The final piece of WIN Stadium’s western grandstand roof came down yesterday morning, almost five months after winds damaged the multimillion-dollar structure.
Two large cranes removed the first section of the massive central roof truss on Wednesday night, and the second section was brought down yesterday morning.
WIN Stadium grandstand roof comes down WIN Entertainment Centre general manager Stuart Barnes said the removal had gone well and the cranes were expected to be gone overnight.
GALLERY: The roof comes down
Work to redesign the truss would now begin and take about a month, he said.
It will then be lifted back into place before a range of works are undertaken to secure it and make it ready for use.
Mr Barnes disputed earlier reports the removal of the truss was behind schedule, saying the roof was due to come down this week.
‘‘The removal of the roof trusses was scheduled for this week.
‘‘You can’t be specific, days-wise,’’ he said.
Wind conditions, rather than rain, were the key consideration for workers preparing to shift the huge structure, Mr Barnes said.
‘‘Luckily the winds have been fairly low, that’s the big danger,’’ he said.
Revised plans for the roof, revealed last month by the State Government, show a slightly more rectangular design in contrast to the curved ends of the original structure.
It was these ends that failed in strong but not unseasonal winds last September.
Bolts supporting trusses on the roof snapped, leaving the 150-tonne structure swinging in the breeze.
State ministers Greg Pearce and Graham Annesley have assured the public the repaired grandstand will be open in time for the St George Illawarra Dragons’ match-up with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on the weekend of June 15-18.
The region’s new NSW Cup rugby league team, the Illawarra Cutters, will play their first match at the venue on Sunday.
The Government has refused to comment on any investigation into why the original roof design failed, despite promising an independent inquiry in September.
A spokesman for Mr Annesley said apportioning blame was a matter for the stadium’s insurers.
‘‘The current program for rectification works is continuing. I think the community would agree that the number one priority for the Government is to ensure the grandstand is fully operational as fast as possible,’’ he said.
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