Everton have confirmed that the first of the giant trusses that will support the roof structure at the club’s new stadium has successfully been installed.
In what is being described as a milestone moment for the project, the 100-tonne section of steelwork was carefully hoisted into place in the north stand on Wednesday morning. In total, the ground will have five roof trusses installed; two in the smaller north stand and three atop the one-tier south stand that will eventually house 13,000 Evertonians.
Today’s work is set to be followed by a series of lifts over the coming weeks at both ends of the stadium that will offer a first view of its full height of just under 45 metres. Each truss will initially rest on temporary support trestles built into the stand, and consist of three sections assembled at ground level and lifted into place individually.
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The completed roof trusses will have clear spans of between 150 and 175 metres, once the temporary support trestles are removed. The depth of the trusses varies between four metres deep at the supports, to around 11.5m at mid-span.
Everton’s new home on Liverpool’s north docks is is recognised as the largest single-site private sector development in the country. The project is due for completion in the 2024/25 season.
It is estimated that once built, the Everton Stadium will contribute an estimated £1.3bn to the UK economy, creating thousands of jobs and attracting 1.4m visitors to the city of Liverpool, annually.
Speaking last week, Everton midfielder Amadou Onana admitted he had been 'blown away' by the progress of the dockside development.
He said: “It is my ambition to play here.It looks amazing so I’m very much looking forward to that day. I want to help bring Everton back to where the club belongs.
“I’m completely blown away [by the stadium]. It looks fantastic. I can’t believe how fast it is growing!”
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