A new feature of the campus skyline took its place shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday when construction crews hoisted the roof for Oregon’s Jane Sanders Stadium.

Touring the site later in the day, UO softball coach Mike White could see his team’s new home taking shape.

“It’s definitely going to be the best stadium on the West Coast, if not the country,” White said. “It’s just an incredible thing to see.

“The only thing we’ve been able to see before is just pictures of it. Until you get into block and concrete, it’s just a dream. Right now it’s here, people can see it, and it’s going to be the best.”

Crews used a 600-ton crane to lift the V-shaped metal roof, which weighed 97,000 pounds including the harness used to hoist it. The lift started early Tuesday morning to take advantage of a window of calm winds.

Aaron Braun, project manager with Howard S. Wright Construction Co., said the roof installation represented a major milestone.

“There was a tremendous amount of planning that went into this and a huge, huge effort,” Braun said. “We up-sized the crane so we could deal more with adverse weather conditions, and now it’s set. It’s a huge relief.”

The roof will cover a portion of the 1,500 permanent seats located behind home plate, which was one of White’s requests when he reviewed plans for the stadium.

“I wanted a few more seats covered, so they made it a little bigger,” White said. “Overall, we’ve had some great input between myself and Lisa Peterson (Oregon’s senior women’s administrator). I’m excited to see it start taking shape.”

Significant work remains on the $16.5 million stadium project, which is scheduled for completion in time for Oregon’s Pac-12 opener in March. In the coming weeks, crews will work to enclose the walls of the Ducks’ locker room, the team meeting room and the indoor batting cages located on the third-base line.

“This project is kind of unique because the construction activity peaks in the middle of the wintertime,” Braun said. “Our next big move is to get everything enclosed so we can do the finishes and turn the structure over on time.”

The Ducks will practice at Marist High School until the field is ready for use. Oregon is scheduled to take possession of the stadium March 1, but White said it’s possible the Ducks could start using the facility in February.

“I’d like to be out here as soon as we can,” he said. “If we can’t, we’ll make do. We’ll be on the road the first five weeks anyway, so really it’s just the middle of March when we really need to have it done.”

 

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