The last remnants of Christchurch's Lancaster Park are scheduled to fall on Tuesday as the demolition process comes to an end.
Once the process is over all that will remain of the 130-year-old stadium condemned by the quakes is its historic gates.
Christchurch City Council project director Lee Butcher told Newshub the stadium was a major structure that had to be broken down into six steps.
- Inside Lancaster Park one last time
- Lancaster Park, as it was, is now history
- Seats fly off the stands at Lancaster Park
"From a demolition point of view, I think it's one of the largest demolitions to be undertaken in New Zealand," he said.
The site is expected to be clear of rubble in January 2020.
Butcher said more than 98 percent of the structure had been recycled. About 70,000 tonnes of concrete and gravel will be reused, as well as thousands of tonnes of steel.
"We've got a developer in Rangiora that's taken the concrete, processing [that], and turning it into a foundation system for a new building," Butcher said.
"It's been reasonably emotional getting to this stage; I've seen this structure dwindled down to the last few bits and pieces remaining."
Once the home of the Crusaders and one of Christchurch's sporting fortresses, the Christchurch City Council announced in March 2017 the stadium would be demolished, with work beginning in December that year.
It was estimated the damage caused by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake would have cost up to $275 million to fix.
Newshub.
