Rams head to Super Bowl as stadium rises up

Hosted by Frances Anderton Jan. 30, 2019 Design

The construction site for the new Rams and Chargers stadium in Inglewood. Photo by Frances Anderton/KCRW

How’s the stadium construction going?

It’s now 60 percent complete, and on track to open just before the 2020 season.

You can see the massive concrete pylons and skeletal frame of the swooping roof structure. That will be covered in a light plastic material called ETFE, and will offer partial coverage of the bowl. You can also the raked sides of a bowl that will seat over 70,000 fans.

It’s worth noting though that even though it’s impressive, it doesn’t feel as high and gigantic as a usual stadium would be and that’s because it is sunk 100 feet down into the ground.

It goes right under LAX’s flight path so it had to go low.

But it still gives you that sense of awe you get from stadiums, going back to Rome’s colosseum.

How are neighbors of the stadium feeling about this?

Well, it really depends who you talk to.

Lots of locals are super-excited; this new stadium and the arrival of the Rams is a huge boost for Inglewood, and the Rams playing in this weekend’s Super Bowl only adds to that.

Thousands of people lined up for a go-Rams event this Sunday -- and this is a town where you find people who are still loyal to the LA Raiders.