Construction on new 2010 World Cup stadium underway

Today saw a step forward for the city of Durban in South Africa as the old Kings Park Stadium came down. In its place, the new King Senzangakhona 70,000-seat Stadium will rise.

This new site will be able to host soccer, but will also be used for rugby and other athletic events. It could host a Commonwealth games and, with minor modifications, an Olympic games.

One interesting note, the old stadium will be recycled. "Grass, topsoil, masts, control gear and precast seating would be reused at stadiums in other parts of the city. All old concrete would be crushed and used as fill for the base of the new stadium, while more than 400 tons of steel and 40000 bricks had been recovered."

This stadium should be finished by 2009 and will host one of the semi-final matches.

Also in Durban, they are building a major road to help ease the massive congestion that engulfs the city on most days.