The Aquatics Center for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham will be completed on time, according to local council officials.
Construction of the $95 million centers based in Sandwell, a Borough near Birmingham made up of six towns, is continuing, and Council leaders there are confident that the project will stay on course despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this month plans to construct an Athletes Village were scrapped after a review into the impact of the pandemic found the project could not be delivered on time, with athletes now due to be housed in university accommodation.
Officials at Sandwell Council are confident the same fate will not befall the Aquatics Centre project, insisting it has a "robust construction programme", as reported by The Express & Star.
Construction on the Aquatics Centre, scheduled to host the swimming and diving events at Birmingham 2022, is expected to be completed next year to allow it to undergo testing and to ensure security plans can be put in place in time for the Commonwealth Games.
"Like the whole country, the Sandwell Aquatics Centre has faced unprecedented circumstances but construction has continued positively thanks to the proactive approach of our construction partner and everyone else involved with its delivery," Maria Crompton, Acting Leader of Sandwell Council, said.
"There has always been a robust construction programme in place which has put us in a good position to be able to respond to COVID-19 and we are committed to delivering this project on time jointly with our partners so that we not only have the privilege of being a host venue for Birmingham 2022 but also provide a world-class facility for our residents here in Sandwell."
Following Birmingham 2022, scheduled to take place from July 28 to August 8 in 2022, the center in Smethwick is set to become a leisure facility for public use.
Highway improvement work to support access to the new Aquatics Centre is scheduled to begin in the surrounding area in the coming weeks.
Work will take place in three phases, with a target to complete phase one by March 2021.
Phase one involves junction improvements to improve road safety and create safe crossing points for pedestrians, as well as the installation of pedestrian crossing facilities and double zebra crossings.
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