Work to prepare the Metro Sports Facility site for construction is now underway.

March Menard Joint Venture has today begun installing the first of around 8000 in-ground stone columns to prepare the site for main construction work to begin in 2019.

Ōtākaro Limited Chief Executive, John Bridgman says work will ramp up throughout the year.

“March Menard JV will place about a dozen stone columns over the next week then test these, before beginning full scale installation around the start of October.

At the peak of the process there will be four 80-tonne cranes onsite working six days a week to get the site ready by April next year for the Main Works contractor.

Now that physical work is underway I hope sport and recreation participants can begin considering their future use of the facility with greater confidence.”