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Dome Project Manager Delayed Due To Snow

By Holly Wagner, WCCO-TV

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) -- Many in the Twin Cities are wondering how long it will take to get the Metrodome inflated again, after it collapsed in the aftermath of a massive snowstorm.

The roof gave way on Sunday morning, spilling a massive amount of snow onto the field and knocked down some lights and speakers. Once the roof tore, Metrodome officials decided to deflate it so further damage wouldn't occur.

On Monday morning, experts were expected to step inside the frigid, deflated Metrodome to work on fixing it. However, Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commissioner Steve Maki said the project manager for the Metrodome repairs is delayed in Buffalo, N.Y. because of snow.

Shovels and plows aren't usually needed inside the Metrodome, but with yesterday's collapse of the roof crews are dealing with all kinds of strange issues. Crews are working with the fact that not only the weight of the snow but also the weight of the speakers and lights are currently holding the roof down.

The Vikings and the NFL have been scrambling to find a different place to play. The final decision has the Vikings playing the Giants in Detroit tonight, though they looked at the possibility of playing at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus.

"TCF holds 50,000, the Dome holds 64. There's 112 suites as opposed to 40 or 50," said Bill Lester, of the Stadium Commission. "It would be an outdoor game. It would be a shot to see what it would be like to be playing football outside in Minnesota in December."

In the end, it was determined the TCF Bank Stadium would not have had enough time to prepare for a Vikings game.

WCCO-TV's Holly Wagner Reports

Meanwhile, the people who maintain Syracuse's Carrier Dome are offering to help out their counterparts dealing with the collapse of the inflatable roof on the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Carrier Dome managing director Pete Sala says he has spoken on the phone with the Metrodome's management and offered Syracuse's extra roof panel, bought 10 years ago when the Carrier Dome's roof was redone. Sala says the panel is ready to be shipped if Metrodome officials want it.

Sala says he also offered his expertise in inflating and deflating a dome, something he has done several times during his years operating the Syracuse stadium. The Carrier Dome roof sustained a weather-related tear in the 1990s.

The Metrodome's roof collapsed during severe weather early Sunday morning.

(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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