ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Township High School Board of Education approved a $916,552.78 bid from Midwest Track Builders Monday for reconstruction of the school’s track. The district received proposals from three companies through a state approved cooperative purchasing program, with bids ranging from about $916,000 to $1.4 million. The project will involve removing the existing asphalt down to the base rock, rebuilding the track surface and replacing the long jump and pole vault lanes with concrete. The new track will feature a purple surface, gray exchange zones and white lines and is expected to provide at least 30 years of use.
Soil testing is underway to determine whether the underlying base also needs to be replaced, which would add about $233,000 to the cost. The board could consider that additional work in November after receiving the test results. Construction is scheduled to begin June 1, after graduation and the spring track season, with the project expected to take about 12 weeks. The district has adjusted its fall athletic schedule to avoid hosting home events until the second half of August in case of construction delays.