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Planned blast takes down Metrodome roof structure

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- A weekend explosion in the Metrodome in Minneapolis triggered several phone calls to police from people unaware it was part of the stadium's demolition.

The controlled blasts Sunday morning took down the remaining roof supports of the 31-year-old stadium, which is being destroyed to make way for a $1 billion facility for the Minnesota Vikings, the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune reported. The dome had been deflated last month.

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Mortenson Construction said beforehand it expected the demolition blast wouldn't cause much of a disturbance. But it created enough noise to prompt a half-dozen or so calls to police from people curious as to what happened, the newspaper said.

The Metrodome is expected to be gone by April, with construction of the new stadium's shell slated to start in August and completion of the facility expected by July 2016.

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