Marlins Stadium Nearly 50 Percent Built

MIAMI (CBS4) - Construction of the Miami Marlins stadium is on schedule and is poised to open by the April, 2012 deadline.

On Tuesday, CBS4 News toured the facility as it marks its 16th month of construction. Construction officials said construction is 47 percent complete with the stadium framework in place.

Two elevators, the baseball field and dugouts are already in place. The retractable roof is mostly complete, officials told CBS4's Marybel Rodriguez during a recent hard-hat press tour.

"People are working 150-feet off the ground and they're working on 18-inches wide I-beam walking back and forth. There's an extensive safety systems up, but it's an extremely dangerous job," said Sid Perkins with the construction firm Hunt Moss. "I have high expectations, but the project is doing really well."

The ballpark will be located on the parcel of land bordered by NW 6th Street to the north, NW 4th Street to the south, NW 16th Avenue to the west and NW 14th Avenue to the east. With a capacity of approximately 37,000 spectators, the retractable roof, air-conditioned ballpark will contain 928,000 square feet on the former Orange Bowl site.

The team said a retractable-roof facility will help draw more fans during South Florida's hot and rainy summers.

The team, which won World Series titles in 1997 and 2003, will be renamed the Miami Marlins when the new stadium opens in April 2012.

Click here to follow the ballparks progress from a webcam that overlooks the site of the new ballpark.