July 14, 2008

Leaks won’t delay opening of Indianapolis Colts stadium

INDIANAPOLIS

Three roof drains in Lucas Oil Stadium sprang leaks when thunderstorms hit Indianapolis last week, leading to some water damage in a data centre and other areas.

But stadium officials say the damage shouldn’t delay the Aug. 16 public opening for the new home of the Indianapolis Colts. Construction work continued following the storm, said John Klipsch, executive director of the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority.

“At this juncture, no one’s reporting that we’re going to miss our opening dates,” he said.

Some high school football games will be played a few days after the public opening, and the Colts are scheduled to play the Buffalo Bills in an Aug. 24 pre-season game.

Klipsch said crews were still investigating how three of the stadium’s 20 main roof drains leaked. It was too early to estimate the damage total or say whether problems stemmed from design, manufacturing or installation issues.

Crews had repaired the three fractured drain pipes by last Wednesday afternoon.

At least a couple feet of water poured into the stadium’s data room, which is below ground, after a drain on the stadium’s northeast corner cracked. The room serves as a control centre for telephones, Wi-Fi and Internet access and houses some recently installed computers and receiver components.

The roof drains caused leaks in three corners of the stadium. Ceiling tiles, drywalls and carpets were damaged. Water entered electrical boxes, telephone closets and several meeting rooms. It also reached an underground loading dock but caused no problems.

The US$700-million stadium is scheduled to host the 2012 Super Bowl.

Associated Press

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