A team of 650 construction workers are working over time to get the Beijing National Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest, for the athletics events that commence from August 15.
The workers have been given only 84 hours to complete the changeover for track and field competitions, a soccer match and the closing ceremony, China View reported.
Officials from the International Track and Field Federation and the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) will review the arrangement today.
It would normally take at least two weeks to complete the huge changeover. This involved removing all the fantastic stage props from the opening performance, such as the big "scroll," and installing equipment for the closing ceremony in the pit, and smoothing the field for the athletics.
"Every detail has been carefully planned to get the 'mission impossible' done," said Yan Cheng, deputy head of the logistics team for the opening and closing ceremonies.
About 11,000 tons of cargo needed to be loaded and unloaded in the 84 hours, including more than 4,600 tons of turf. Only 24 hours were scheduled for laying the turf, while the same amount of work took 66 hours at the 2004 Athens Games.
Yan said they had even arranged mobile gas-filling vehicles into the stadium to save trips to the gas station.
"We are confident of getting the stadium ready for Wednesday noon, according to the current progress," said Yu Jianping, chief engineering officer of the opening and closing ceremonies.
He added more than 4,000 engineers, workers and soldiers had participated in the changeover.
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