Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to add new information.
Ames High’s nearly 25-year-old track is getting a significant upgrade.
The Ames School Board approved roughly $2.7 million worth of stadium renovations, including new LED lights, additional seating, and ADA modifications, during its meeting on Monday, Sept. 23.
Ames Superintendent Scott Grimes said the track is a safety hazard due to dips in the surface. He said needs to be replaced from “the dirt up” to ensure its longevity.
“The track has an underlayer and the track surface, and through time, the bottom deteriorates,” Grimes said. “A lot of schools through time will just replace the top, but the top (at Ames High) has been replaced.”
The stadium track was redone with an asphalt base and top layer in 2000, which typically has a 20-year life span. The most recent work on the track was done in 2015, and only included a structural top coat.
Other parts of the stadium will also be upgraded while the new track is being built, like increasing bleacher capacity with 300 more seats. Other work includes installing new LED stadium lighting, additional bleacher handrails and guardrails, modifications to make the bleachers ADA-compliant, and replacing the field fencing.