Lucas Oil Stadium roof will be closed for Colts' home opener as investigation continues
3 fans were injured when a bolt fell as the retractable roof was being opened during a preseason game
The retractable roof at Lucas Oil Stadium will be closed for the Colts' home opener on national television next Monday night as investigators look into why a bolt fell as the roof was being opened during a preseason game.
Three fans were injured during the incident Sept. 3. A witness said the bolt was the size of a half-roll of quarters. Two of the fans were taken to the hospital.
Barney Levengood, executive director of the Capital Improvement Board, which operates the stadium, said high school football games set for Friday and Saturday there will go on as scheduled.
On Friday, the games are Center Grove vs. North Central and Hamilton Southeastern vs. Westfield. On Saturday, it's Triton Central vs. Lapel, Tri-West vs. Western Boone and Pendleton Heights vs. New Palestine.
"We believe at this point that if we do not operate the roof we are OK and safe to operate on Friday, Saturday and Monday," Levengood said after a regularly scheduled meeting of the CIB.
Levengood said the CIB arrived at that conclusion Monday. He said he's unsure when the roof will be cleared to open again.
Lucas Oil Stadium roof inspected after fans hurt
The investigation includes people with the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority and engineers, architects and contractors who worked on the stadium.
"We're going to bring everybody together and make absolutely sure we do have the correct answer," Levengood said. "That takes time."
It's uncertain how much the retractable roof added to the cost of the $720 million stadium, at least $620 million of which came from taxpayers. The stadium opened in 2008.
An Indianapolis Star story in 2005 put the figure at $25 million, but that was at a time when the total tab was said to be $500 million.
In 2013, the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reported that the cost of a retractable roof for a stadium in Minneapolis would be $25 million to $40 million more than for a dome.
Call Star reporter Mark Alesia at (317) 444-6311. Follow him on Twitter: @markalesia.