4,600 truckloads of soil need to be removed before the new 40,000-stadium of Colorado State University gets built. First foundations are to be poured next week.

Preparatory works were launched back in May, when electricity, natural gas, and water and sewer services were provided for the site on Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins. Then official groundbreaking ceremony was held on Sept 12 and now actual excavation goes on.

Major works were launched yesterday and are expected to see 65,000 cubic yards of earth (50,000 cubic meters) removed from the site. That’s a massive number of 4,600 truckloads, which will be carried out using 20 trucks.

Starting next Monday work begins on drilled piers, or caissons, which are deep foundation elements. With up to 5 piers per day, well over 500 caisson foundations are to be ready in 37 working days, only slightly later than the final excavations.

Icon Venue Group has agreed to build the stadium for a guaranteed maximum of $220 million, including design, consulting and infrastructure costs. The price tag also includes the 85,000-square-foot alumni and academic space, added to the project in May.

Altogether the new Fort Collins football ground should be ready in mid-2017.