Positive news as work start on Milton End to get under way earlier
WORK on Pompey’s reconstructed Milton End is to be brought forward by more than six months.
The Blues’ £11.5m Fratton Park project is presently running well ahead of schedule as they close-in on a July launch for the redeveloped South Stand.
That represents Phase Three of a programme which initially focused on North Stand Upper and Lower.
Work on the Milton End was scheduled to begin in May 2023 – with a summer 2024 completion.
However, such has been considerable progress elsewhere at Fratton Park, that will now commence in October.
And, potentially, the Milton End could be completed by early 2024
Steve Cripps, managing of PMC Construction, told The News: ‘We are ahead of schedule, so are probably drifting into the Milton End in October.
‘There’s quite complicated civil engineering work needed on the ends, we have to cut a section of roof back and gut out that whole south-east corner.
‘We’ll excavate that area, complete the zone for some toilets, then there’s a new media suite and first-aid room in that corner.
‘It will be a slow start, then we’ll gain momentum. You’ll be looking at somewhere between 12 and 18 months.
‘We never thought we’d have completed the other sections by around October time, so we’re ahead of the programme. It makes sense to carry on.
‘If things go in our favour, we will probably be out by Christmas 2023, but, failing that, we will drift into early 2024.
‘The stand has a maximum use of 2,000. It currently has 3,200 seats, so it will be restricted to 1,600 seats, which is a net loss of 400.
‘However, there aren’t many times when the stand is fully loaded in League One, whereas in the Championship it’s a different ball game.
‘So the aim is to get it ready and hope we end up in the Championship with a stand which can be fully loaded to 3,200.’
Work on the Milton End will inevitably impact upon capacity in an area of Fratton Park largely used by away supporters. Unlike other areas, there will be no need for fan relocation.