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And now the new WIN stadium is blowing down.
Emergency services are rushing to WIN Stadium, the home ground of NRL team St George-Illawarra, as its western grandstand has buckled under gale-force winds.
Both ends of the newly completed roof have buckled after strong winds buffeted Wollongong this afternoon.
Engineers on site have deemed the situation a critical incident.
Witnesses say a large structural beam appears to have snapped.
The Steelers Club has been evacuated as a precaution and parts of Harbour and Burelli streets have been closed due to the dangerous conditions.
Police have extended the exclusion zone as the risk of collapse grows.
Employee Megan Jarrett was one of a number of staff members and about 20 patrons evacuated half an hour ago.
"All we know is that we were told it might blow over," she said.
Illawarra Mercury journalist Mario Christodoulou reported the grandstand roof was in a precarious state.
"Every time the wind picks up it seems to be teetering back and forwards," he said.
"It is moving more and more with each gust of wind."
Construction on the $29 million grandstand had been nearing its final stages.
The roof is held together by two trusses, each weighing nearly 50 tonnes.
The structure is so large and heavy a 450-tonne crane was required to install it in May this year.
Illawarra Mercury
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...#ixzz1YTULypjq
Emergency services are rushing to WIN Stadium, the home ground of NRL team St George-Illawarra, as its western grandstand has buckled under gale-force winds.
Both ends of the newly completed roof have buckled after strong winds buffeted Wollongong this afternoon.
Engineers on site have deemed the situation a critical incident.
Witnesses say a large structural beam appears to have snapped.
The Steelers Club has been evacuated as a precaution and parts of Harbour and Burelli streets have been closed due to the dangerous conditions.
Police have extended the exclusion zone as the risk of collapse grows.
Employee Megan Jarrett was one of a number of staff members and about 20 patrons evacuated half an hour ago.
"All we know is that we were told it might blow over," she said.
Illawarra Mercury journalist Mario Christodoulou reported the grandstand roof was in a precarious state.
"Every time the wind picks up it seems to be teetering back and forwards," he said.
"It is moving more and more with each gust of wind."
Construction on the $29 million grandstand had been nearing its final stages.
The roof is held together by two trusses, each weighing nearly 50 tonnes.
The structure is so large and heavy a 450-tonne crane was required to install it in May this year.
Illawarra Mercury
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...#ixzz1YTULypjq
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