Workers hope to begin preparing the new pitch at Everton Stadium by early May.
The Club’s imposing new home at Bramley-Moore Dock is fast taking shape, with all the concrete terracing within the bowl now installed and over half of the 52,888 seats in place.
And as work continues to make the stadium watertight and complete coverings on the east-stand roof, the race is on to wrap up all pitchside works and clear the pitch area of cranes, and other construction plant, to begin laying foundations for the playing surface.
Laing O’Rourke Project Director Gareth Jacques confirmed: “We are working to a schedule that means we will finish current works using the pitch area by early May.
“The masterplan is to be off the pitch by then, which will allow us to get going with the reduced-level dig.
“The pitch area still has all the granular material from the original piling and crane platform underneath, which needs to be dug out.
“We have some service ducting to install around the perimeter and then some preparatory works to be ready for the specialist contractor to begin the pitch install itself, which should start in June with a programme of works lasting about 20 weeks.”
Confirmation of the on-schedule pitch developments come as Laing O’Rourke continue with the seat install and associated safety railings and balustrades within the bowl.
Over 30,000 blue seats are adding an exciting splash of colour around the stadium, with installations expected to be completed by the summer.
Work also continues on sealing the concrete terracing joints with 33km of Mastic Sealant and finishing off the entry and exit areas, which include the glass balustrading at most of the entrances around the bowl.
Jacques added: “When you are building a football stadium, all the internal works and fit-out are generally underneath the terracing, so getting weathertight is on the critical path.
“Then we still have all the decorative stuff to do.
“Our supply chain partners Bluecube, who are installing the seats, are also installing the P-Shaped handrails on the terracing.
“Fans will see that they have already started installing seats in the lower tiers. This is because we’ve flipped the sequencing slightly as we co-ordinate these bowl works with those of other trades working at height in the roof structure above which requires a lot of exclusion zones at bowl level to separate the various work areas.
“Seeing the blue seats at lower tier level really brings home the closeness of the fans to the pitch.
“Then we have all the non-slip edging for the nosings of the steps to do, along with installing all the intermediary step blocks in the aisles.
“As you can see, it’s all coming together and we’re delighted at the progress being made.”
