Wednesday, November 13, 2024–1:17 p.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
In September, the City of Rome had to temporarily close the track at Barron Stadium to make repairs to a water leak discovered beneath the surface of the track, and on Wednesday, the public works committee got an update on those repairs.
According to Rome Public Works Director Chris Jenkins, Rome High School has a payoff game this Friday and potentially another home game on November 22. So, work is currently set to start on November 23.
“From the time they put the rubberized material in and stripe it, it should take them about ten days,” Jenkins said. “The track should be open in mid-December.”
The water leak resulted in a small portion of the track surface having to be removed in order to assess the extent of the damage to determine the extent of the repairs that would have to be made.
“The track will be back new, or better than it was before on that section,” Jenkins added. “They will be able to start track practice in January, which was a real concern. So, they will have track practice, and they will be able to hold the GHSA state track meet. We were really concerned that we would be able to get this finished in time, but it looks like it’s all coming together.”
The city’s insurance is paying for the repairs, and Jenkins told the committee that he has included $610,000 in the 2025 capital budget to replace the remainder of the track.
“Our track is thirteen years old,” Jenkins said. “They say anywhere from about fifteen to eighteen years you need to resurface them. We are going to have a good section of track that thankfully the insurance paid for—about 100 yards with new materials, but the other portion will need to be replaced too.”
Jenkins is hopeful that work, which will include taking off the rubberized surface and replacing it, can begin not long after Rome High School’s 2025 graduation. It should take about 30 days to complete.
