Liverpool Football Club (LFC) has reached a major milestone in the construction of its £80 million Anfield Road Stand expansion, where Buckingham Group is on site.
Engineers recently removed the old 282-tonne roof, during a week-long operation that saw 75 people working day and night on the final section between the Anfield Road and Sir Kenny Dalglish Stands.
A steel framework is currently being constructed between the two stands ahead of cladding works.
SD Samuels cladding had been subcontracted by Buckingham Group to work at Anfield Road. However, it is understood it had not finished its work when it filed for administration in December, wrote Construction News.
The expansion scheme began in September 2021 and will increase spectator capacity from 54,000 to 61,000.
The roof operation required two large crawler cranes that needed to be assembled on the pitch.
One 500-tonne and one 600-tonne did the heavy lifting, supported by two 300-tonne telescopic cranes and 700 tonnes of ballast for stability.
The pitch went through rigorous testing to prepare for the demolition and to factor in recovery time.
The old roof will now be processed for recycling, and in its place a new 75 x 39 metre replacement is being installed.
Externally, too, most of the brickwork and window fittings are complete, and new turnstiles have been installed at the entrances.
The next phase of works will see a new upper-level seating deck constructed, once the old upper tier is removed.
The stand expansion is the third major capital build project by LFC in recent years, following the new Main Stand in 2016, and the opening of the AXA Training Centre in November 2020.
When finished, Anfield will surpass Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium by holding the third highest capacity in the Premier League.
The development is on track for completion by the start of the 2023-24 season.
To watch a video of the major operation, visit This Is Anfield.
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