With about 500 days to go before the 2010 Fifa World Cup, construction work on the stadiums remains on course for completion in time for South Africa to host the greatest soccer extravaganza.
Ellis Park Stadium
The Johannesburg venue for the 2009 Confederations Cup is 98% complete and will be ready in time for Fifa’s inspection in February.
Sibongile Mazibuko, Johannesburg’s 2010 coordinator, said: ‘We are at a stage where we are working on final touches at the stadium.â€
The stadium, which had its capacity increased from 50Â 000 to 60Â 000, will host first- and second-round matches as well as one quarterfinal match in 2010.
FNB Stadium
According to Mazibuko the contractor is busy with the roof structure, which is 75% complete. ‘We are on course to meet our April deadline. Eighty-five percent of the concrete work has been done,†she said.
The official deadline for the stadium that will host the opening ceremony and the 2010 finals is December 2009. It has also had its seating capacity increased from 80Â 000 to 94Â 000.
‘We are pushing as hard as we possibly can so that the stadium can be completed early, which will enable us to have testing events before the 2010 showpiece. We cannot just handover the venue to Fifa, we must have big events to ensure that it will be ready to meet all Fifa’s requirements as it will host the finals. This is one of the reasons why the stadium is a 24-hour construction site,†said Mazibuko.
Green Point Stadium
All the concrete work has been completed and all the compression rings for the roof have been fitted.
Peter Cronje, Cape Town’s 2010 spokesperson, said the stadium roof will be in a shape of a bicycle lying flat.
‘We are now busy with the rim of the bike, which is the 72 pillars of the roof. Upon completion the fans will be covered and the field of play will be opened. One part of the roof has already been completed,†said Cronje.
The stadium, which is expected to be finished on December 14, will host nine matches including one semifinal in 2010. After the 2010 final whistle has been blown 13Â 000 of the 68Â 000 seats will make way for a multipurpose stadium.
Loftus Versfeld Stadium
The stadium, which is undergoing minor upgrades, will be open to host both rugby and soccer matches at the end of this month.
The only major work that the contractors are busy with at the moment is the erection of the roof.
According to Godfrey Nkwane, the city’s 2010 chief executive, the stadium is 99% complete.
‘Everything is almost done, we will finish up the final work, which will be the tiles in the toilets, by the end of this month. Most of the building work is complete and it will be ready for Fifa’s inspection in March 2009,†he said.
Loftus will host first-round and second-round matches and a third-place play-off match. It will also host 2009 Confederations Cup matches.
Mbombela Stadium
This problematic stadium is six weeks behind schedule. Neil Fourie, the stadium project manager, said: ‘At the end of November last year we were three months behind and we have done a lot of work trying to catch up. Construction is expected to be complete by July and is progressing well, but we are not saying we will complete everything in time because anything can happen.â€
Erection of the roof steel is 50% complete and this excludes the part that was destroyed when a crane fell on it at the beginning of this month after fierce storms wreaked havoc in the area.
‘The damage on the roof is minor and will in no way affect our progress,†said Fourie.
Peter Mokaba Sports Complex
Nineteen days of construction work were lost between June and July because striking workers downed their tools at the Polokwane Stadium for a salary hike. However, time has been made up for the days lost by working on weekends.
Ndavhe Ramakuela, the 2010 director, said most of the concrete work at the stadium has been done. ‘The stadium is 56% complete. We started working on the western end of the roof in the past two months. Things have been going well for us in spite of the recent strikes,†he said.
The stadium, which is expected to seat 45Â 000 people, is expected to be completed by June. The Peter Mokaba facility is set to host some of the first-round matches of the World Cup.
Moses Mabhida Stadium
Despite delays because of incessant rain in Durban, the stadium construction is well on schedule. A total of about 177Â 515 tonnes of concrete and 8Â 591 tonnes of reinforced steel have been used. Engineers have fitted the final piece to the 350m-long arch. The arch, which consists of 56 separate 10m pieces, stands 106m high, weighs 3Â 500 tonnes and is symbolic of the South African flag.
Julie-May Ellingson, the head of Durban’s strategic projects and of the 2010 programme, said: ‘The stadium’s many supporting structures are now largely complete. This includes piling and ground beams, retaining walls, supporting columns and the floor slabs on each level.â€
The stadium, which will host first- and second-round matches and a semifinal, will have its seating capacity increased from 54Â 000 to 70Â 000.
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
The stadium is expected to be completed by March 2009. Eight matches — including a third- and fourth-place playoff and a quarterfinal — will be played at the stadium.
Communications director Roland Williams said: ‘By the beginning of December 2008 six of the 36 steel girders weighing 52 tons each are in place. The roof covering consists of 50% aluminium cladding, which has already started going up, and the PTFE membrane [the remaining 50%] will follow shortly thereafter.â€
To date 39Â 106 seats have been installed, the remaining VIP seats will be placed once the roof erection has been completed. Present construction includes civil works, ventilation, electrical fittings and completion of the fire protection.
Free State Stadium
The contractors are completing the roof installation and electrical work. The plastic seating has been fitted, the remaining VIP seats should be fitted when the roof installation has been completed.
Mangaung 2010 chief executive George Mohlakoana said: ‘The pitch will be finished by the end of January as we had to wait for the rugby season to end before work on the pitch could commence. We have started working on temporary facilities such as installation of IT&T equipment for temporary facilities. The city has decided to rent some of the equipment instead of purchasing them to counter the ever-escalating costs.â€
The stadium will host first- and second-round matches in 2010. It is also a venue for the Confederations Cup.
Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace
The stadium will be handed over to Fifa at the end of this month. According to Nketu Matsima, the 2010 coordinator for Rustenburg, only minor upgrades were done on the stadium, which will also host matches for the Confederations Cup.
‘Eighty percent of the work is complete because we had to do work only on the western part of the stadium to increase the capacity from 39 500 to 44 000. We are in the process of putting up the roof. We are happy to report that 90% of the precinct work is complete,†said Matsima.
The stadium will host 2010 first- and second-round matches.