Atlanta Braves players as well as devoted fans are excited for their 2017 exhibition game against the new york yankees, which is part of preseason training in the brand new stadium. The question is, will Suntrust Park be ready in time? Construction workers and crews are frantically trying to finish the ball park before their 7:35 p.m. exhibition game, which is tonight. According to WSB-TV, “The concrete will be dry just in time for baseball fans to walk from the parking lots to the stadium just blocks away."
Setbacks while building SunTrust Park
SunTrust Park has been under construction since September of 2014.
According to the AJC, project director Chris Britton says there have been quite a few major setbacks while building this ballpark, such as “bad soil conditions that needed to be remediated." Another setback to completing the stadium was the fact that this is so much more than just a stadium. Derek Schiller, who is the executive vice president of sales and marketing for the Atlanta Braves, said, “The team is happy with the progress made on leasing its 60 retail spaces; 40 shops and 20 restaurants."
Britton also stated, “This schedule is tighter than any other Major League ballpark construction schedule. No one has designed or constructed an MLB stadium in the short amount of time we have.”
Working down to the wire
Construction workers as well as other crews will be working down to the wire to ensure that the stadium is finished in time tonight for the Atlanta Braves' first pitch at 7:35 p.m.
against the New York Yankees. According to WSB-TV, “The lights won't make it for Friday’s game and it’s unclear if they'll be lit up for the home opener in mid-April either."
According to other sources, about 20,000 fans are expected to be at the ballpark tonight for the exhibition game. Braves fans need to keep in mind that they may want to plan accordingly, no matter where they are coming from, in order to find alternate routes to and from SunTrust Park because of the bridge collapse on I-85.
Braves fans hope for a win on Opening Day, which is April 14th.