LA Stadium’s opening to be delayed by a year due to record rainfall

Developers for the new LA Stadium and Entertainment District announced on May 18 that the opening date for the future home of the Los Angeles Chargers has been moved to the summer of 2020.

Since breaking ground last November, notable progress has been made on the much-anticipated project. Construction teams have fully excavated over six million cubic yards of dirt, while piles to support the stadium bowl and foundations for the roof structure are in place.

However, a record-setting rainfall led to the decision to push the opening of the new stadium at Hollywood Park from 2019 to 2020. “The continuing rains really knocked us for a loop,” said Bob Aylesworth, principal in charge for the Turner/AECOM Hunt joint venture that is building the stadium. “It was a very unforgiving two months for the project. And speaking from a building perspective, it really couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

The record rainfall over the winter created significant delays from January through March. Extensive climate research done before construction began allotted for a budget of 30 days for the entirety of the construction. However, the six-month timeframe from October through April alone produced 120-percent the amount of rain for a typical year. In fact, in January the region was on pace for the fifth-wettest winter in eighty years.

The new target date of 2020 affords additional flexibility while allowing construction to continue on a more conventional pace. As a result, the Chargers will now play at StubHub Center through the 2019 season.

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