Construction of the new Milwaukee Bucks arena continues to take shape, as the project is approaching a major milestone.
On Tuesday, construction crews are scheduled to lift the first roof truss for the arena. This comes as the venue moves closer toward its projected opening for the 2018-19 NBA season.
Ground was broken on the arena last June, and subsequent progress has been steady. The first concrete slab was poured late last year, and work has taken place not only on developing the arena–which is currently billed as the Wisconsin Entertainment & Sports Center–but the surrounding development as well, including the Bucks’ practice facility and other amenities that will surround the venue.
Once the first truss is raised later this week, it will mark the beginning of a major step in the construction process. More from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Crews plan to lift and gently lower into place the first of nine enormous roof trusses high above the steel cocoon that forms the shell of the new stadium. The lift is scheduled for Tuesday and will involve workers from Merrill, as well as JP Cullen, a Janesville-based construction company, and Mortenson Construction, the project construction manager.
“This is considerably more complex than what we’ve done to date” on the fast-moving Bucks project, said Ellen Becker, a Mortenson project engineer.
“It’s really high in the air, and it’s substantially heavier. And that offers a few more challenges.”
Adding complexity is the length of the trusses. They max out at about 200 feet each and are so large they must be assembled inside the bowl, on what will eventually be the basketball court. They’ll be lifted in two pieces and bolted into place by workers hundreds of feet off the ground.
The 2017-18 season is expected to be the Bucks’ last at the BMO Bradley Harris Center. As noted, the new arena is slated to be built as part of a project that not only includes a new training center, but also amenities such as bars and restaurants, offices, and retail. We previewed the arena and development last June.
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