By Donna Williamson
In a called meeting on Monday afternoon, the Opelika City Board of Education approved an additional $288,000 to remove existing asphalt in the back parking lots and outer-loop road.
According to Dr. Mark Neighbors, superintendent, money was already in the budget to resurface these areas, which were in need of repair before the construction began. However, after two years of construction, the heavy equipment “just wore it out,” he said.
Neighbors explained that if only resurfaced, the areas would need repairing again in four or five years. “We have a chance to do it all now than redo it later,” he said. All asphalt will be removed back to the grade, with the exception of the small parking lot at the science building. “A new base will be added and we will repave,” he added.
The additional $288,000 will come from the school board, and the project will take approximately ten days to complete.
To help protect the new asphalt, the city will provide an industrial trash compactor with safety features. A heavy duty pad will be constructed for the compactor, along with a heavy duty base for the garbage trucks. According to Neighbors, the cost of the pad and base will be approximately $8,000. The compactor will have a lock and “It won’t be a citizen garbage drop any more,” he said.
With the exception of the back parking lots and the outer-loop road, plus a few small jobs left to complete, construction is finished. Neighbors thanked David Allen, Trey Crittenden and Jason Farr, who managed all contracts and supervised all of the work for Robins and Morton, along with Tammy Allen, office manager.
A Community Open House has been tentatively set for Aug. 10 from 2-4 p.m. at OHS.
