After a round of delays, the Ranger Field renovation is beginning to make visible progress again. The project lost over 10 weeks in waiting for an excavation permit, as the renovation designs first needed stream-flow data and then approval from FEMA.
However, this was just the start of a parade of small delays. The construction crew discovered that the existing track was slanted, with the north side higher than the south. As the project requires that at least 18-inches of top soil be removed throughout the length the track, the crew had to remove three feet from the higher side of the field to ensure the track would be even. While doing additional digging, the renovation crew discovered more water and electrical lines underground than were expected, leaving them more stuff to work around.
The Ranger Field Renovation Committee (RFRC) has also had to make several other on-site adjustments, like having to expand the track to the south. The existing track was a 440-yard track and the new track is the regulation 400-meters, meaning the new track was larger and had to be repositioned. In addition, the long jump has continued to be a problem, as the first two placements ran into issues.
“We’ve moved the long jump for the third time now,” RFRC member Mike Welu said.
Regular rain has also slowed the project, forcing the crew to cease work entirely some days because of mud.
“We were in a drought right up until we started moving dirt,” Welu said. “As soon as we started moving dirt, it’s rained about every day.”
Welu explained that the renovation crew didn’t want to track mud through town and have to add cleaning the streets to the schedule or budget.
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