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Marlins Ready To 'Top Off' Stadium Roof

MIAMI - (CBSMiami.com) - Just over one year before the new Marlins stadium is scheduled to host its first game, the team is getting ready to show off a milestone in the construction process - the topping off of the signature retractable roof.

The team plans a ceremony Friday to mark the installation of the last steel beam for the roof, which will cover the field when weather threatens and retract to show the sky when the weather is good.

The final piece of steel is a 38 foot, 68 hundred pound beam, and will be signed by more than 800 construction workers helping to build the stadium, as well as by team officials and representatives of the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County.

Once the beam is in place, workers will start to install the remaining roof panels. When complete, 11 thousand pieces of steel will make up the roof, which the Marlins say will weigh about 7500 tons.

The team said the stadium is on time and is expected to be ready to host fans on Opening Day, 2012.

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