Overseers of the new aquatics center to be used for the 2022 Commonwealth Games say construction on the estimated £73m (~$95m USD) facility remains on track during the coronavirus pandemic.
As we reported in 2018, the state-of-the-art facility positioned in Sandwell, a city just over 5 miles from Birmingham City Centre, is slated to house a 50m long competition pool along with a 25m diving pool, with construction having begun in February of this year.
Per Express & Star, ‘since the COVID-19 pandemic began, work has only stopped once – for 24 hours back in March – so safety measures could be put in place for workers.’
Maria Crompton, deputy leader of Sandwell Council, said this week of the construction progress, “These are unprecedented circumstances which are continuing to evolve and at this stage, it is speculative to assess the exact and final impact of COVID-19 on the project.
“However, Wates Construction Limited is continuing to make good and positive progress with work on-site and we are committed to delivering this project on time.
“Our main priority has always been the safety of our workforce and wider community and we have worked with Wates to ensure that work continues on the Aquatics Centre in line with government guidelines on COVID-19.”
“We are continuing to monitor the situation and will work closely with all our partners to achieve a successful outcome for the project.” (Express & Star)
Per The Telegraph, the city of Birmingham has the highest number of coronavirus cases in England outside of the capital, London. There have been 3,216 coronavirus cases reported in Birmingham to date.
Work is expected to be completed in spring 2022, with the swimming and diving events for the Commonwealth Games scheduled for July 27th to August 7th of that year. The building would then officially be open for public use in May of 2023.
