Allegiant Stadium glass installation may wrap up in 2 weeks

One of the major features that give the $2 billion, 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium its distinctive look is nearing completion.

The outer shell of the stadium sitting off Russell Road and Interstate 15 is almost fully enclosed by its surrounding curtain wall.

Raiders President Marc Badain said the glass installation probably will finish sometime in the next two weeks. Installation of the dark, tinted exterior glass wall began in September.

That timeline could fluctuate, as Badain said the process is not on the critical path, meaning if another task requires extra attention that is vital to another process taking place at the stadium, glass installation could finish past the two-week projection.

The curtain wall is made up of 2,400 panel sets that weigh up to 3,900 pounds each and are assembled offsite at Las Vegas-based facade engineering and curtain-wall design company Enclos’ facility, according to “From the Ground Up,” the Raiders online series documenting the stadium’s construction.

Because each of the panel sets is unique, Enclos uses 3D modeling to ensure the sets are made to precise measurements.

Enclos and the stadium construction team are in constant communication, allowing crews to know when panel sets will be on site, when they are ready to be installed, where they’re stored on site and where work crews can attach the sets in order without complication.

Some work will be left to do on the curtain wall after the panel sets are installed, with light band installation still occurring and other fine tuning and design elements left to do.

The ominous nature that the dark glass gives the stadium has led to fan-made nicknames for the Raiders new home, with the “Star Wars”-inspired Death Star — which Raiders safety Johnathan Abram took to in a recent interview — and “Pirates of the Caribbean”-inspired Black Pearl names being the most popular among fans posting about the stadium on social media.

One of the next major milestones leading up to the July 31 completion date will be the installation of the ETFE roof panels. The cable net roof system that will support those panels was lifted into place earlier this month.

After the roof panels are installed, which is slated to be completed in May, the stadium will be fully enclosed.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.