Bryant-Denny Stadium Resumes Construction After Workers Contract Coronavirus

Work on the ongoing renovations at Bryant-Denny Stadium were suspended over the weekend

Joey Blackwell/BamaCentral

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The ongoing renovations of Bryant-Denny Stadium at the University of Alabama were suspended over the weekend after an undisclosed number of workers at the site tested positive for COVID-19.

Cecil Hurt of Tuscaloosa News was the first to break the story on Tuesday night.

The work on the stadium resumed Monday according to a statement given to Tuscaloosa News by Caddell Construction Company, the Montgomery-based contractor currently conducting the construction on the stadium.

“The safety of all of our employees and trade partners is our top priority,” the statement read. “In addition to adhering to all established protocols to protect our workers, Caddell restricted operations over the past weekend after receiving notice of positive tests among some employees and trade partners. This allowed us to engage in additional deep-cleaning and provide testing by an independent laboratory so all of our team members could be cleared before returning to the job site.

“Our processes meet and/or exceed OSHA and CDC guidelines. We will continue to act on the latest guidance and information to promote the health and safety of our essential workforce.”

In addition to the statement from Caddell, the Tuscaloosa News also received a prepared statement from the University of Alabama, professing that it  had provided the contractors with sanitation supplies and personal protection equipment in response to the reported cases.

“From the start of the pandemic, UA has continuously mandated that our campus contractors take all necessary steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19,” the statement read. “The contractors immediately adapted operations and processes, engaged in heightened cleaning and took other protective measures for the health and safety of their employees.

"The University directly provided sanitation supplies, thermometers and signage at all construction sites, and made personal protective equipment available to all contractors. Those processes, which have been in place since early March, are continuously refined based on the latest guidance from state, federal and industry leaders in order to protect the health and safety of the campus community.”

Bryant-Denny Stadium is currently undergoing a $92.5 million renovation that began last November. 

In addition to a new recruiting area and updated suites, the project also includes a new area for students, four new, larger jumbotron screens as well as the relocation of the press box from the west side of the stadium to the northeast corner.

The Crimson Tide’s first home game is scheduled for Sept. 12, when it will host Georgia State.