Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
A crew from Motley & Motley of Pullman puts down the outer ring of asphalt at the new track Tuesday. The project is expected to be complete in mid-October.
The Colfax track reached the paving stage Tuesday as 12 asphalt trucks arrived and laid down a bright black oval.
On Monday night, Superintendent Jerry Pugh gave an update to the school board, in which he told them the re-working of soft spots will increase the project's overall cost.
After pulverization of the surface was finished in late August, a layer of gravel was laid over the top followed by watering.
At that point, weak spots developed in the track which needed to be addressed. A total of 279 cubic yards of gravel was removed in one stretch and 20 cubic yards in another.
“I don't know that the track had a proper base to begin with,” Pugh said. “The trucks sunk.”
Once the spots were reinforced, the same gravel removed was put back over the areas.
Compacting, testing and checking the compaction followed.
Pugh told the board he is waiting to find out what the added cost will be for fixing the soft spots.
On Monday, a crew began grading. Todd Grimes of Beynon Sports Surfaces in Tualatin, Ore., lead contractor on the project, returned Tuesday to oversee asphalt. Grimes was also in Colfax for three days last week.
The asphalt has a two-week cure rate, which will allow for the Bulldog football team to play its next home games in Colfax after playing last week at Oakesdale.
Colfax plays Lind/Ritzville/Sprague at home Sept. 23 and Northwest Christian Sept. 30.
Once cured, the track asphalt will be ready, application of the latex surface and painting will follow. That part of the project is expected to take eight days.
For the football games, rubberized pads will be used for players and coaches to walk across the track. Cheerleaders will perform at the front of the bleachers.
Separate visitors' bleachers on the opposite side of the field will not be set up.
“We should be finished by mid-October,” said Pugh. “We'll need to have a celebration.”
Work on the shotput pit will resume in the spring.
To account for the asphalt trucks Tuesday, traffic around the school was modified. Buses picked up and dropped off students away from the track complex. Sixth Street and Fourth Street were closed to traffic starting at 3 p.m. for student loading.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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