Argentina's new stadium 'will be ready by July'

Argentina's ambitious new national stadium in the city of La Plata will be finished in early February, said an official representative on Thursday.

That's despite a previously missed deadline which lead to speculation that it might not be ready to host the Copa America football tournament.

The stadium, which will be large enough to hold 36,000 spectators, was supposed to be finished in December, but progress was hampered by bad weather conditions and there is now concern that it will not be ready for Argentina's turn to host the major South American championship in July.

When it is finished, La Plata's state-of-the-art construction will be unusual for having both a roof and a natural pitch. The grass will be kept outside of the stadium, so it can grow in natural conditions, and be transferred inside when it is needed.

The removable pitch will allow the stadium to host giant concerts and Irish rock band U2 has already been booked to play at the venue in March.

When not in use, the grass will be kept nearby, where it has been divided into small boxes which can be moved around by forklift truck and reassembled inside.

2011 has kicked off with various news reports suggesting that the stadium may not be finished in time after the missed deadline in December, which also lead to the cancellation of an opening event, featuring President Cristina Fernandez, and a friendly football game between Argentina and Brazil.

The first Copa America match is scheduled between Argentina and Bolivia on July 1.

However, the roof remains the largest outstanding task for construction workers. It is said that the tall cranes finishing the roof are unable to work in winds of more than 30 miles an hour, as it becomes too dangerous.

The city of La Plata lies around 37 miles south of Buenos Aires and is the capital of the surrounding Buenos Aires Province.

Source - Yahoo.