Watkins Glen construction update
04/05/11 Despite constant weather changes ranging from snow to rain to sunshine, Watkins Glen International has been a hotbed of activity. The capital improvements project announced in December 2010 has kicked into high gear with construction currently taking place on three grandstands, new lighting poles, and the addition of new showers in two locations. The contracts for all projects to-date have been awarded to New York-based companies keeping the financial benefits inside the state and supporting the regional economy. The entire capital improvement project is scheduled to be completed prior to the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend, August 11-14.
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| Turn 10 Grandstand | Turn 11 Grandstand | Green Grandstand |
The grandstands currently going up are located in Turns 10 and 11. The Turn 10 Grandstand is farther along in the process as the footers have been poured and the frame work is now being installed including the vertical and horizontal support beams. Once completed, the new grandstand will have 43 rows and rise approximately 55 feet into the air. The concrete footers for the Turn 11 and Green Grandstands have been poured with installation of the main support poles beginning this week on Turn 11 and work on the Green beginning within the next week or two. The materials for the Silver Grandstand have been placed at its location outside of Turn 1 and can be seen from Route 16 that passes by The Glen. Construction of all grandstands is being handled by North Collins, NY-based E&D Specialty Stands Incorporated.
The lighting pole and shower projects are both in the early stages. Syracuse, NY-based Syracuse Signal Systems is drilling the holes for and placing a total of 50 new lighting poles throughout the Gate 1 GEICO Caveman Campgrounds. In the GEICO Campgrounds located in the infield, work crews are in the early stages of a demolition project to remove the water storage tanks under the two permanent bathroom locations. The tanks were installed prior to the water and sewer improvements that took place between 2002 and 2004. Genesee Construction is handling both the demolition of the tanks and the construction of the new showers. The Dansville, NY –based company has left a large mark on WGI over the last several years, having handled the alterations and enhancements to several of the turns around The Glen in 2010 and the construction of the new Media Center in 2008.