On Monday, Feb. 8, Colorado Springs Utilities played a major role in helping to move a 19-foot diameter steel soccer ball to the new Weidner Soccer Field, just south of downtown.
Weidner Field is slated to open this spring. It will be the new home to the Switchbacks FC, which competes in the second level of U.S. men’s professional soccer. The new stadium will seat 15,000 spectators and is planned to be used for other events like concerts.
One of the hallmarks of the new stadium is the giant soccer ball which will greet people as they enter the stadium. The Switchbacks hired Osage Specialized Transport, a specialized equipment trucking company, to move the soccer ball.
Because the soccer ball was built in one piece at Springs Fabrication, it required the coordination of many different organizations to successfully move it the 8.75 miles from the manufacturer to the stadium.
In addition to working with the Switchback and Osage Specialized transport, we also worked with the Colorado Department of Transportation, on the coordination of the move. To have a minimal impact on traffic, the soccer ball was transported beginning at 7 p.m. It was in place by 10 p.m.
Dozens of hours of prep work went into the project before the move occurred on Feb. 8. Fifteen Springs Utilities employees from departments that included electric construction, quality control and field engineering played a role in helping make the move successful.
Our employees had to do line clearance surveys at six intersections to ensure the soccer ball would fit underneath our electric lines. The crossings ranged from customer secondary lines to 115kV transmission lines. Lidar laser measurements were taken to get the specific measurements and clearance between the lines and the ground. Though no electric lines had to be raised for the move, we did have to de-energize a line to ensure the ball could pass safely underneath it.
“This was an unusual project we got to work on,” said Operations Supervisor Shaun Dillon. “Our internal teams came together to help map the route for the soccer ball, get appropriate clearances and ensure an overall seamless move. Great job to everyone who worked on it!”