Construction work doesn't stop for cold

GRAND CHUTE - It's one thing to be outside because you want to.  It's another if you have to like working on construction.

Monday's bitterly cold temperatures didn't make that job any easier. Those projects, like the one at Fox Cities Stadium, are often on tight deadlines. And the clock keeps ticking, even when it's cold.  

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Heaters are somewhat of a necessity when working construction in cold weather. Eight industrial portable heaters keep the work spaces inside the Appleton Alliance Church expansion in Grand Chute comfortable.

"It fluctuates but I would say it is at least a consistent 60 degrees in here which is pretty good to work in this time of year," said Boldt Construction Company project manager Ken Kasten.

Kasten says workers hurried to enclose the expansion project just a few weeks ago. Meaning even on a day when temperatures are subzero, work inside can still go on. Otherwise, Kasten says they may have had to stop work like some of the company's other outdoor construction projects did.

"We can only do so much outside, when it's too cold we have to figure out where to draw the line."

One project that can't stop because of the cold weather is the expansion of Fox Cities Stadium, with the home opener for the Timber Rattlers just 77 days away.

"They've got to keep going and thankfully they have a lot of inside work to do now and they have a lot of things enclosed but they have to keep working and moving on," said Timber Rattlers assistant general manager Aaron Hahn.

Hahn says if the cold wasn't bad enough, high winds this weekend tore down some of the temporary enclosures keeping the cold out. Hahn says workers were busy repairing them Monday and it won't affect the construction schedule.

"It doesn't help when the weather is like this, at least it's not snowing I guess but the cold doesn't help."

While fans are counting down the days to the baseball season, construction workers are also counting down the days to a warmer work season.

The work at Appleton Alliance Church is expected to be completed by July.

The renovations at Fox Cities Stadium are expected to be completed in time for the Timber Rattlers home opener on April 8.