Work to dismantle the roof on Montreal’s iconic Olympic Stadium is almost complete.
The top has been removed and some of the final parts are still being disassembled.
In 2026, work to build the new roof will start at the ground level of the stadium where it will be assembled and raised in 2027.
The Olympic Stadium is set to reopen to the public in 2028.
“We’re very happy of the work of almost 300 people who have contributed to the project so far,” Nadir Guenfoud, of the Olympic Park told Global News.
The price tag is $870 million for the entire project.
This will be the third roof in the 48-year history of the Olympic Stadium. The previous two were plagued with problems, tearing and partially collapsing multiple times, including on Jan. 18, 1999, when part of the structure collapsed under the weight of snow during a car show.
Some people are questioning the price tag for a roof on a stadium that hasn’t been consistently used since the Expos last played baseball in 2004.
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But Guenfoud insists the Olympic Stadium will be able to once again host world entertainers and sporting events once the new roof is installed and the stadium reopens.
“There is no reason to think that Montreal cannot host these type of events if it has a proper stadium,” he said.
The new, permanent fixed roof will have a green translucent window to allow natural light to shine through and Guenfold insists it will be able to withstand Montreal’s extreme weather.
“We’re confident that it’s going to be able to meet all the expectations,” he said.
Officials are hoping to double the number of visitors to the Olympic Park to more than two million a year once the stadium reopens and the iconic landmark will be able to host five times more events per year — reaching 100.
They insist all cities in North America with a comparable size to Montreal have stadiums with capacities of 50,000 people or more.
