More than 3,200 construction workers are working on the Lilly Lebanon campus and a second (night) shift has begun, project communicators said, as crews focus on enclosing key buildings ahead of winter.

Project officials said the change matters because closing exterior work and getting buildings "dried in" reduces weather-related delays and protects interior fit-out work. The addition of a night shift also allows trade crews to perform activities that require fewer people on site at once, such as fireproofing.

Joe LePage, city of Lebanon communications and community development director, introduced the update and hosted the podcast. Jeff Wagner, community relations and communication manager for Fluor Corporation, summarized construction progress: "Between LP 1 and LP 2, we've got more than 3,200 workers that are on the campus currently." Wagner said two of the main Eli Lilly production buildings "are pretty much dried in or will be in the next few weeks," and that the Central Utilities Building is "well enclosed." He added that some openings remain intentionally to allow modules to be inserted.

Wagner described the 2024 construction season as unusually favorable for heavy work: "It's been an awesome construction season for us pretty much all summer. Been relatively dry...the wind has not been an issue." He cautioned that some openings will remain through winter to accommodate modular installation and that keeping pours heated during cold weather was a prior challenge.

Project staff and contractors said site traffic and access have been improved by recent paving and a bypass/roundabout work on the state interchange near the campus. Wagner said Gate A on the north is the most trafficked entry and that a new roundabout will connect into N 150 West to help manage heavy-equipment flows; traffic through the work zone is limited to roughly 15 miles per hour "which is good for everybody."

The campus skyline has changed rapidly as many buildings progress simultaneously. Ray Hostetler of Hostetler PR, who documents the site quarterly, said side-by-side photos from June to the present show striking change in a matter of months.

Ending: Project staff said they will continue to prioritize enclosing buildings for winter and coordinating off-duty police, traffic controls and construction sequencing to keep heavy equipment moving while minimizing impacts. The project team posts a quarterly newsletter and site photos for residents and stakeholders to track progress and sign up for email alerts.