Winds tear loose Vikings stadium panels, again

Updated: 3 p.m., Dec. 28 | Posted: 2:50 p.m., Dec. 27

A howling windstorm loosened siding on the new U.S. Bank Stadium Monday afternoon.

Strips of the metal panels on the stadium's signature prow came loose, as winds topped 50 miles per hour in the Twin Cities. One panel detached from the stadium and fell to the ground, according to a statement from the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority.

It's the second time that the dark-colored zinc panels that cover much of the stadium's exterior have been damaged in high winds.

After a July windstorm knocked loose more than a dozen panels, Mortenson Construction, the stadium's builder, and HKS, the stadium architect, decided to add extra fasteners to some of the foot-high panels, each 6 to 12 feet long. The panels interlock on the sides of the building. Repair work focused on areas that are "exposed to these particularly high wind pressures," Mortenson Construction reported at the time.

The stadium has a two-year warranty to cover the repairs, and a crew from McGrath Architectural Sheet Metal was setting up to work on the loosened panels Tuesday afternoon.

"We are awaiting a recommendation regarding next steps to permanently resolve this issue," said a statement from the MSFA.

The repairs aren't expected to impact inline skating or indoor running scheduled for tonight.

After initially saying it expects repair work to be finished by week's end, Mortenson said in a statement Wednesday that "additional work is weather dependent and will take a few weeks to complete."