Utah Olympic Park Track - Track Technical Details

Track Technical Details

Costing about $25 million US$ to construct, the track uses 297,000 watts of track lighting, 62 water hydrants, 24 cameras, eight scoreboards, and 49 timing points. Generally open from October to the end of March annually, the track takes a total of 18 days to ice down to the required thickness needed to run sliding events. The track has 54 miles (87 km) of piping with 110,000 pounds (50,000 kg) of ammonia refrigeration able to keep the track to −14 °F (−26 °C). During operating season, a nine-man crew smooths the track every day. A total of 59 temperature probes are located throughout the track to ensure the ice temperature is properly monitored. Throughout the track, a $1 million retractable shading system protects the course from sun and snow, which reduces energy usage by 25 percent and the need to clear the track from snow.

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