On Monday night, before the Dallas Cowboys faced off against the Houston Texans, an incident occurred at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. As officials were in the process of opening the stadium’s retractable roof, a section of it unexpectedly fell onto the field. Fortunately, the stadium was largely empty at the time, and no injuries were reported.
Officials attributed the roof incident to high winds, which were gusting up to 30 mph throughout the day. They are currently investigating the situation to ensure that the roof can be safely opened for future events. Notably, the retractable roof had not been opened for a Cowboys game since the 2022 season.
Constructed in 2009, AT&T Stadium is a significant venue with a seating capacity of 80,000. The arches supporting the roof reach nearly 300 feet at their apex. The unique design of the stadium has an east-west orientation, unlike most sports venues that run north-south. This configuration can cause visibility challenges, especially during afternoon games when sunlight streams through the large glass windows located on the west side.
This is not the first time AT&T Stadium has faced safety issues related to its roof. During the 2011 Super Bowl, six workers were injured when ice and snow fell from the roof, a byproduct of a severe ice storm that affected the Dallas area in the days leading up to the event.
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