Dive Brief:

• Mortenson Construction has reached substantial completion on the new 70,000-seat, 1.75-million-square-foot, $1.1 billion Vikings' U.S. Bank Stadium six weeks early and has turned it over to the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority.
• Mortenson, which also obtained the stadium's Certificate of Occupancy ahead of schedule, originally estimated it would reach substantial completion on July 29.
• A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for July 22, along with a public open house, in advance of the facility's first event, a soccer game on Aug. 3.

Dive Insight:

Both the Vikings and the MSFA praised Mortenson for its ability to complete the stadium ahead of schedule. MSFA Chairwoman Michele Kelm-Helgen said Mortenson did a "phenomenal job," particularly considering that the stadium design included "the largest transparent roof in North America and the largest operable doors in the world."

Construction of the stadium, which began in 2013, has been relatively smooth, with the exception of a few challenges, including the death of a worker who fell five stories while installing the roof. Last week, the Minnesota Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited both Mortenson and Berwald in connection with the death and fined the companies a total of $173,400. According to CBS Minnesota, both Mortenson and Berwald are contesting the citations and fines.

Also at issue during construction was $15 million of unsettled change orders. Mortenson, which has a reputation for not publicly airing its disputes, went through mediation with the MSFA in an attempt to resolve the issue. After a year of negotiations, the MSFA agreed to put more than $16 million in escrow for the contractor to cover any potential changes.