Metrodome Tour Includes Free Samples Of Ripped Roof
By Bruce Hagevik, NewsRadio 830 WCCO
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If you'd like to see the inside of the Metrodome as the collapsed roof is being repaired, now is the time.
Guided tours are being offered every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 11 a.m. at a cost of $4 per person.
"So people can see what's going on with the roof replacement, what kind of progress has been made," said Bobbi Ellenberg, Metrodome's events services manager.
NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Bruce Hagevik Reports
Podcast
The first 2,000 visitors will receive a free sample of the roof that collapsed during a snowstorm on Dec. 12.
"Relatively thin but fairly stiff fabric and it's a fiberglass fabric," said Ellenberg, in describing the 3-inch square sample.
There's a huge gap in the roof of the Dome as construction workers make repairs over the next several weeks. Because of the work, visitors are not allowed on the field but it can be viewed from vantage points around the stadium.
Repairs will cost an estimated $20-25 million and the work should be completed in time for the Vikings football season. The cost of repairs is covered by insurance after a relatively small deductible.
The Vikings want a new stadium but the state legislature has yet to approve one, and even if one is approved, it would have to be built.
