Photo provided The Lester Carney Track at Indian Creek High School’s Robert Kettlewell Stadium is receiving some much-needed resurfacing, capping off a summer’s worth of updates at the facility. Vasco of Massillon overseeing the project and work could be done this week.

WINTERSVILLE — The Lester Carney Track is getting an overdue refresh in one of the final improvements planned at the Robert Kettlewell Stadium for the foreseeable future.

The Indian Creek Local School District contracted with Vasco of Massillon to resurface the track, which follows a summer full of projects at the site. Assistant Superintendent John Belt said the track upgrade was much-needed and will extend its usefulness for future events.

“Vasco is in the process of resurfacing the Lester Carney Track at the Kettlewell Stadium. It’s going to be an all-weather surface,” he said. “It was last done nine years ago and at that time it was converted from an all-asphalt track to an all-weather track.”

Since then, the surface has cracked and the under rubber has worn through the top coat. He added that the work should take less than a week, weather permitting, and a subcontractor will spend another one or two days to paint the stripes. Then it will be ready for conducting events.

“With the resurfacing of the track, we plan to host some invitational track meets in the spring,” Belt continued.

The upgrades have led to temporary closures to the public, but they can still access the campus parking lot for walking or running exercises.

“We hope to reopen next week unless the striping is underway,” Belt noted, saying all of the improvements should definitely be completed by the end of the month. “It’s a short turnaround-type project but it’s definitely necessary. We were told it was a seven-year surface when the all-weather was first installed, and it’s lasted nine seasons.”

Other recent projects at the stadium included adding new sidewalks, concrete padding around the concession area and retaining walls. Work involved pushing back the hillside behind the scoreboard because it encroached upon the track, then placing the retaining wall and sidewalk and adding a concrete pad near concession stand No. 2.

Another retaining wall was built behind the stands while fencing was being replaced around the stadium. Grae-Con Construction of Wintersville oversaw that project while Pendleton Painting, also of Wintersville, freshened up the underside of the grandstands. SoL Harris/Day, the North Canton architectural firm involved in the construction of Indian Creek High School and Cross Creek Elementary as well as renovations at Hills Elementary, oversaw the bid process for the stadium project and expenses were covered with the remaining school construction funds.

Belt said the main scoreboard will also be repainted before the homecoming game this Friday, while perimeter fencing, painting and other work will be done in the future.

“There will be ongoing routine maintenance to keep everything operational and the stadium safe.”