Kirkland’s Juanita High School field gets a $900,000 upgrade | Slideshow

The Juanita High School football field has seen a lot of action during the past decade. Between boys and girls soccer, football, lacrosse, track and field and an assortment of practices and youth games, the community puts the field to good use.

By Matt Phelps • July 3, 2012 9:05 pm
Construction workers remove turf from the football field at Juanita High School on Friday. The Lake Washington School District had the field removed and replaced at an estimated cost of $910
Construction workers remove turf from the football field at Juanita High School on Friday. The Lake Washington School District had the field removed and replaced at an estimated cost of $910

The Juanita High School football field has seen a lot of action during the past decade. Between boys and girls soccer, football, lacrosse, track and field and an assortment of practices and youth games, the community puts the field to good use.

But that use has led to wear.

“The field has reached its useful lifespan,” said Lake Washington School District spokesperson Kathryn Reith.

The LWSD replaced the Field Turf last weekend at a cost of more than $900,000.

The entire project took about three days, with the use of forklifts.

Community and high school athletes will see and feel the difference.

“It is an upgrade because not only is all the turf being replaced, but an additional support layer will be going under the turf to help extend the life and good condition of the field,” said Reith.

The construction cost is $800,000, with a total project cost of an estimated $910,000. The project is paid for by a capital levy passed in 2010.

The field was last replaced in 2002, when it went from natural grass to Field Turf. Most of the high school fields in the KingCo League were transitioned to Field Turf at the beginning of the last decade.

The top surface of the turf is made up of plastic grass with shredded rubber pieces and sand filling the areas between the blades. The turf is designed to be relatively recyclable.

“The contractor will be doing limited recycling of the materials,” said Reith. “The sand/rubber mix will be reused for the middle layer fill of the field. There is a possibility that the turf material could be recycled as a plastic.”