Weather continues to hamper track project

The only thing keeping the all-weather track project at Douglas High School from rolling through to completion is the long-awaited arrival of spring.

As evidenced by the week's flurry of snow, wind and cold temperatures, spring just doesn't seem ready to come out and play yet.

Douglas High administrators had originally hoped to begin final preparations for laying down the all-weather synthetic track surface on April 1, but the temperatures just haven't cooperated up to this point.

"The main thing is that it has been too cold," said Keith Cole, who has been organizing the project for more than six years. "Basically, to install a quality product, the company needs the weather to be as close to 60 degrees during the day as possible and there can't be consecutive nights where the temperatures drop below freezing."

Oregon-based Atlas Track has been contracted to do the installation. Workers from the company are expected to install the track in layers. Each layer will need a specified amount of time to cure without any negative weather influences.

"If the conditions aren't right, the rubber pellets coming out of the machine will stick together instead of getting spread on a nice, even surface.

"We're anxious to get it done, but we want it to be done right," Cole said.

Representatives from Atlas were on campus Monday to inspect the current asphalt surface at the track.

"They didn't feel there were any major issues on the asphalt," Cole said. "It's in good shape. There were three spots that we're going to have Horizon Construction come out and fix, but those aren't even on the running surface, they're more toward the starting area.

"The repairs needed are actually very minor."

Douglas High principal Marty Swisher said Horizon is expected to come out next week, and if the weather can clear up, Atlas is aiming to begin work on April 30.

"It's about a three-week process," Cole said. "They need about 15 work days to get the whole thing done."

Starting Monday, the school's track team, which has been enjoying one of its most successful seasons in several years, will move to the soccer fields for the majority of the remainder of the seasons.

"We're especially appreciative to the track team for giving up their last two seasons," Cole said. "It will be very nice once it is finished.

"Once work starts, the complex will be completely closed off to the school, the public and the other sports right up until the track is finished."

Work on the entire project started last March, after which the entire football field and old track were literally torn out.

The project experienced several delays over the course of the summer, including anything from asphalt shortages and the wrong size turf being delivered to the wrong size of football uprights.

Douglas' track and field team spent its 2006 season practicing on the soccer field and the football team spent the bulk of its season on the road before playing its season-finale and first round playoff game on the new field.

The track was initially scheduled to be installed directly after completion of the field, but winter weather set in, thus pushing the work to spring.

This year's track and field squad has been eagerly waiting for spring to come, but it appears as though even in the best case scenario, the track will not be ready until the season is over.

The school's graduation ceremonies, scheduled for June 15, will be moved to the adjoining practice fields for the second consecutive year in order to protect the new synthetic turf on the football field.

-- Joey Crandall can be reached at jcrandall@recordcourier.com or at (775) 782-5121, ext. 212.