Construction workers will finally pick up their tools again in
June at the National Olympic Stadium, according to an official from
the 2008 Olympic Games Venues Construction Headquarters in
Beijing.
Work began in December 2003, but was suspended last July to make
major design changes to satisfy safety and financial issues.
"According to the schedule, the construction work in the center
area of the National Stadium will reach ground level in June," said
a construction official. "The building of the steel framework will
start in the middle of September."
The National Stadium, dubbed the "Bird's Nest" for its giant
latticework structure of irregularly angled metal girders, will
host the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2008 Beijiing
Olympic Games.
The design has been altered with an eye toward safety, quality,
function, time and cost. The sliding roof that was part of the
original design has been ruled out.
The main framework of the stadium is now scheduled to be
complete in May 2006, with the basic form of the Bird's Nest taking
shape in August or September.
Meanwhile, progress is being made on the National Swimming
Center, known as the "Water Cube."
"The concrete construction for the Water Cube started last
October and will be finished this June," said Li Aiqing, general
manager of the Beijing State-owned Assets Management Corp., the
proprietor of the venue.
The outer structure is scheduled to be done within the year,
with all construction basically complete by September 2007. A
series of test operations and events will follow.
Vice Minister of Supervision Huang Shuxian is heading a team to
ensure that the Olympic construction projects are free from
corruption. He inspected the two venues on Monday.
Liu Zhihua, head of the 2008 Venue Construction Headquarters,
promised Huang to be "honest in performing their official duties
and to carry this principal through to the end."
(China Daily March 22, 2005)