End Date: Substantial Completion - August 12, 2009
May 13, 2009 - Before they start
May 15, 2009 - The change begins
(The cinders and fence are gone!)
May 20, 2009
June 1, 2009
Lots of rain the previous week (what else is new this spring)
(Note the Long Jump pit installed near center of photo)
(Note the Long Jump and pole vault runways were removed)
(Note the Pole Vault landing pit area - the red truck is parked in it.)
(Jav Area behind home bleachers)
June 4, 2009
A lot was done in the last few days:
About 90 percent of the track has been stoned
(of course had a lot of rain - which you will see in photos)
Long/Triple jump pit has been formed and cemented
Long/Triple jump runway has been macademed
Pole Vault area has been formed
Runway has been macademed
Work is being done on the high jump area today
Enjoy the update:
(Track has been stoned)
(A little rain again!)
(Guys working on High Jump area)
(A little rain! Rains came and they had to end here for the day...
Note the LJ/TJ runway)
(LJ/TJ Pit was poured today)
(LJ/TJ Runway!)
(Pole Vault Runway)
June 10, 2009
Lots of rain again this week (not too much was able to be done)
June 23, 2009
Lots of rain again this week Macadem started.
June 29, 2009
Waiting for the macadem to cure now.
Fence posts in too.
Pole Vault runway on right.
Pole Vault runway.
Long/Triple Jump runway and Pit (below)
High Jump area.
Javelin runway.
July 9, 2009
Today the track was "flooded" by
The American Hose Fire Company (thank you)
under the close watch of the architect, general contractor and
school district administration.
In the process the macadem was being checked for any ponding.
The macadem still needs one more week to cure.
The fencing company is expected to be in this week or early next week
to install the fence around the track. That should be a 2-3 day job.
The company installing the "rubber" part of the track is expected to begin
late next week.
Below you will see photos taken today as we flooded the track.
July 20, 2009
Fence and Gates have been completed in the past week.
Grass has been planted.
Preparing for the first coat of rubber to be placed.
Enjoy.
Fence and gates are in.
(also working on painting the bleachers)
We will be sodding the dirt areas on the inside of the track in the very near future.
The home bleachers are getting a fresh coat of paint. This section has been completed.
It may be hard to tell...but the first coat of (black) rubber has been
placed on the jumping runway.
It may be hard to tell...but the first coat of (black) rubber has been
placed on the pole vault runway.
What's next?
Today they are hoping to get the HJ and Jav areas with the black rubber.
Then get to the track this week.
Weather is iffy this week with thunderstorms in the forecast every day.
The "Blue" should be placed in the very near future.
(I hope to get a lot of photos of this process)
I believe we still have approximately 3 weeks left in the project
if the weather cooperates.
July 22, 2009
Today the track black rubber is beginning.
They place a layer of black rubber first....
Then the top coat of blue rubber will be placed on top of the black.
We are still about 5-6 full work days away from seeing "blue"
This "Stadium Blue" track will be very unique.
This specific color to the best of everyone's knowledge will be
ONE of TWO of this color in the world and
the only one in the US.
They other track of this color is said to be in Switzerland.
The wetness you see is the adhesive liquid that attaches the rubber to the macadem.
July 23, 2009
Another day of IFFY weather. No work was done today on the rubber.
Below are updated photos of what was done yesterday afternoon.
The High Jump pit had the first layer of black rubber placed.
The main straight away was done.
The guys working on the ditch under the visitor's side bleachers for the wall.
Just the beginning stages of the retaining wall under visitor's bleachers.
July 27, 2009 The "Black" part of the track will be completed today.
We should start seeing "Stadium Blue" in the very near future!!!
The Wall underneath the visiting bleachers is coming along.
Senior Stand getting a fresh coat of paint.
July 29, 2009
The "Black" part of the track has been completed.
The "Blue" you will see on the photos below is a sealant. After the sealant gets put on...then the "Stadium Blue" track surface will be getting placed. But we need NO RAIN at this point.
Current timeline based on SUNSHINE - which we have not been lucky with:
The rubber SHOULD be completed by next Friday, August 7
Then the painter will need two days to put the lines down for completion.
The track WILL BE a FULL 8 Lanes with each lane being 42 inches wide (Maximum Standard).
As you can see from the above photos - today's weather is not good. The hopes of continuing the sealant will take place tomorrow.
July 30, 2009
No rain in the forecast today. Hoping to get more of the sealant down.
The guys are working on drying the track from the hard rains we had last night.
Also below is the continued work on improvements to the stadium.
Starting work today by drying off the track.
The staff is cutting down the hedges that line the fence by the football booster stand.
The continuing face lift of the home bleachers...the white cement is being cleaned up with a fresh coat of gray paint.
Digging to do the wiring to the new scoreboard.
July 30, 2009 - afternoon photos Lots of work gets done when the sun shines.
The horizontal jumps runway is complete (minus the painting).
The method used to put the "Stadium Blue" on the track is amazing: One guy sqweegies the polyurethane material on the area to be coated with the rubber pellets - then others shovel the pellets onto the area where the poly was applied...
After the coating drys they will sweep off the pellets that did not stick.
The pellets are self-leveling...
Here's the first area of the track getting completed (the runway took about 1/2 hour to complete):
It needs to "rain" blue pellets...
View from the road. (the lighter blue in the photo is a sealant used first)
The final coat of gray going on the grandstands today... (looks great!)
They track guys anticipate getting all the runways and the High Jump area completed today...then begin working on the track.
And yes, the track gets done the same way... By shovel!
July 30, 2009 - afternoon photos - II
Working on the HJ area.
Pole Vault runway is complete.
The polyurethane getting ready...
The bleachers are done.
August 3, 2009 The sun is actually shining today!
Lots of rain this weekend. Rained Friday into Saturday morning. Spent most of day Saturday attempting to dry the track...then a brief shower came on Saturday afternoon that halted the progress.
You can see on the track on the visitor's side - the difference in the blue sealant - as to what was done over the weekend.
Heavy rains on Sunday.
This morning - prepping the track and taped off the inside.
This afternoon - the hopes are to have the track completely sealed.
Beginning the "Stadium Blue" pellets hopefully tomorrow on the track. (that is a 3-4 day process). Hopes for the track to be done by Friday - then the painter will arrive.
The blue you see on the track is the sealant. The runway for the horizontal jumps is complete with the rubber.
Trying to give you a view of part of the wall underneath the bleachers.
AUG 3 - AFTERNOON PICTURES BELOW.
They put down a powder material to fill in any holes that may be present before they put the liquid sealant down.
The machine used is like a zambony or a miniature street sweeper.
Emptying out the material.
Blowing off the pellets that did not stick to the polyurethane.
August 4, 2009 - AM Pictures The sun is actually shining again today!
The start of the track...near the start/finish line.
The guys pour and spread the polyurethane just ahead of the guys shoveling on the track.
In an hour they had almost the first 25-30 M completed
The "Stadium Blue" pellets are emptied into the container ... then emptied into the wheelbarrows.
August 4, 2009 - PM Pictures
The last section of powder and sealant is going down on the track.
Our bleachers with a fresh coat of paint
<SPA, N style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">August 5, 2009 - AM Pictures Threat of Thunderstorms today - making progress questionable
Started working on sealing the javelin runway. Trim work is also being done around the inside of the track.
This morning they put the powder down (above)... This afternoon the sealant was put down (below)...
If weather allows, they hope to complete the javelin area today.
Another part of the process I found out today... The pellets come in 50 lb. bags. They break and dump the bags on the track to loosen and break them up from the shipping process. And put them in the BIG white sacks that were pictured above on an earlier date.
Edging the track.
Javelin area is complete minus the painting.
Views from near Band Booster Stand.
Edging the inside of the track too.
Cleaning off the pellets that did not stick.
Cleaning up the hedges that were in at the top of Stadium Hill.
Updated time line: Hope to be completed with the track by Friday (weather pending) Clean up and edge the track and other areas on Saturday. Then the painter will arrive at some point after Saturday.
The painter will need approximately two-three days to paint the lines, etc.
Hopefully One week from today and the track will be completed.
Sod is going to be place on the field - hopefully next week.
The retaining wall located under visitor's bleachers - hopefully completed next week.
August 6, 2009 - AM Pictures Weather forecast looks pretty good for today and tomorrow.
The track surface should be completed tomorrow. Plan to get to the end of the visitor's side - west end of the bleachers today.
The east end is near completion...working their way down the straight-away of the visitor's side.
They hope to get completed down to the far light pole. Finish the remainder on Friday.
Our staff is cleaning up the west end.
The edging has been completed on both the outside and inside of the track on the home side.
The javelin area was edged this morning and is complete (minus painting).
August 6, 2009 - PM Pictures THE END IS NEAR!
Only about 50 meters to go!
August 8, 2009 The blue is completed. Touch up work needs to be done on the last 50 meters that were done yesterday.
Painter arriving any day to paint the lines.
The only other item that needs to be done on the track after the painting... an aluminum curb is being placed on the inside of the track.
IT IS ALMOST COMPLETED!
Close up view of the last part of the track that was completed yesterday.
August 10, 2009 The painter is getting all his marks set today and should be done tomorrow.
Marking their spots...
Lining the straight-away.
Marking the pole vault.
Horizontal jumps are marked.
1The back straight-away.
August 11, 2009 - AM Photos WOW!! The blue sees the paint!!
This guys is good and he MOVES!
,
Halfway done!
August 11, 2009 - PM Photos
Turn 2.
August 12, 2009:
We have reached substantial completion to the project.
Cosmetic things need to be done yet - Sodding the field
and also a 2" x 2" aluminum curb on the inside lane.
Otherwise - the track is completed.
Obviously it rained the night before this picture was taken.
The horizontal jump runway with tick marks every 5 feet (I believe)
for the athletes to mark their start points.
Pole Vault Area
View of the walkway inbetween bleachers and fence.
Ironically, since our track "color" has been completed,
it is my understanding there will be other tracks in the US
this color...I heard a school or two in NJ will now be getting this color.
IT IS BEAUTIFUL - But I am biased!
But - we were the 1st!
Other Stadium Improvements:
The painting of the home bleachers (both sections) is near completion. (completed July 30)
They are also painting all the concession stands white with blue trim. (completed)
A retaining wall is being installed on the press box (visitors side) underneath the
bleachers to prevent water from entering the track.
A new scoreboard has arrived ... it is a 28 foot by 8 foot Scoreboard with
LED lights and the Tamaqua eagle logo on it.
The scoreboard will be installed on the west end of the field
(opposite its current location)
We are also anticipating dressing up the west end futher and putting the flag pole(s) at that end.
The Football Schedule board is anticipated being placed
at the top of stadium hill near the corner entrance (that is not currently used)
to the stadium.
Also remember the stadium had an upgraded with new lights this past winter/spring.
spectators should see a BIG improvement with the lighting.
We all hope you love the improvements
made to the stadium. Work still needs to be done...but we are making great strides.
