Great Bend Post
Great Bend High School officials feel confident there will be no issues with Memorial Stadium being open for the next home football game Friday, Sept. 22, but a number of other events prior to that date will be effected because of construction.
The $2 million renovations that included a new eight-lane track and artificial turf have reached a point where the facility must be closed. GBHS Activities Director Matt Westerhaus said Hellas Corporation is trying to finish the track around the field.
"They're sealing, leveling and grinding areas of the asphalt to make sure that is ready to go before they put the track surface on," said Westerhaus. "Then they will start the first layer of the track. Since the temperatures are little less than they were a week and a half ago, the cure time of that is about 48 hours. We're just ensuring that this is enough time to get that first layer down and cured."
RELATED STORY: GBHS Memorial Stadium track construction impacts
Because of the closure, a Great Bend Middle School football game was moved to the middle school field, as were youth football games. A freshman and junior varsity game was moved to play at Buhler.
The track was last replaced in 2004, and the turf was last replaced in 2008. The cost of having a great facility is sometimes having to wait.
"Unfortunately when dealing with construction, there are some time deadlines that are not met that you have to deal with," said Westerhaus. "You just hope when you start the process that it all gets finished so you don't have to make changes. We'll get through it. Once it's all done, it's going to be a great facility."
USD 428 asks the public to refrain from entering Memorial Stadium for the time being both during school and after hours.