Bruce Jenkins, general manager of the Mercedes-Benz stadium, fields questions from the media, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., January 29, 2019. REUTERS/Rory Carroll
ATLANTA (Reuters) – The retractable roof on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta is expected to be open on Sunday when the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams meet in the Super Bowl, a stadium official said on Tuesday.
Rain and cold weather early in the week are expected to give way to drier and more temperate conditions, allowing the 70,000 fans in attendance to experience the game under partly cloudy skies.
When asked whether he expected the roof to be kept open, stadium manager Scott Jenkins said: “We do. We’re waiting for direction from the NFL and it’s weather dependent and part of that is temperature.
“It’s warming up, which is good, we just have to keep the rain away,” added Jenkins, the general manager for the $1.6 billion stadium, during a media tour.
The target temperature for keeping the roof open is about 60°F (15.5°C), he said, which is below the current forecast for Sunday.
The stadium will still keep out wind even with the roof open because the steep stadium bowl rises 300 feet high, Jenkins said.
“You don’t get a lot of wind in here when it’s open so I don’t expect wind to be a factor,” he said.
“People come in here and are wowed by the experience at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and entertained with a great football game.”
Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Toby Davis