Money from Washington County bond funds carried over from Johnson City Schools’ ambitious construction crusade is paying for most of the remainder of Science Hill High School’s repaving efforts, including the three-tiered parking lot in front of what used to be the main entrance.
Elizabethton’s Summers Taylor recently began this phase of repaving, which stretches across three tiers, or terraces, from Liberty Bell Boulevard to John Exum Parkway.
“We’re trying to upgrade all paving on campus,” said Dave Chupa, the school system’s instruction and facilities supervisor. “As we completed construction (on campus) we paved the access road, which had been used to accommodate heavy machinery and trucks. Since then, we’ve also paved the loop between Liberty Bell and the tennis courts. We also removed bollards and installed curbing there.”
Chupa said Summers Taylor moved over to do the tiered parking lot but found the substructure in some areas to be much softer than expected. Instead of solid ground, the contractor found mud and dirt, so a little extra work had to be done to fix the finding. Now, the soil is ready and able to withstand asphalt.
“Next, we’ll move over to the parking area behind the new gymnasium, and that will basically complete repaving throughout the school,” he said. “The expectation is they will have it completed by Aug. 6, the first day of school.”
Chattanooga’s EMJ Corp. is just now easing away from a $23 million project in which the company constructed four new buildings: administrative offices, 9th Grade Academic Building, dining hall and multipurpose gymnasium.
Other major accomplishments include the building of Kermit Tipton Stadium and the complete refurbishing of Liberty Bell and the Career Technical Center, improvements at Freedom Hall and a new $2.4 million central plant that will provide heating and air conditioning to new and renovated facilities on the Science Hill campus.
While Summer Taylor is handling paving chores, the city’s Public Works Department is using some of its employees to repair and replacing curbing and gutters.
“This is a joint effort,” said Donnie Campbell, a site supervisor for the department. “When they (Summers Taylor) milled it, they uncovered old curb that had to be taken out. Some of it had been paved over. We’re also doing some repair work on curbing near the school.”
Crews on Thursday used a Slipform paver, which trims and molds new concrete.
While workers were setting up, it was found that a large Willow Oak tree located next to the walkway leading into the campus had begun to crack down the middle of the strongest part of the tree. It was determined it could not be saved, so the city and the Johnson City Power Board contracted with Knoxville-based Wolf Tree, which specializes in tree trimming, to fell the enormous landmark to avert any possible safety concerns.
“It’s well over 100 feet,” said William Medley, Wolf Tree foremen. “It was in danger of falling. I have no idea how old it was.”
Johnson City Forester, Patrick Walding, has been coming by the site to make sure everything’s going OK, Chupa said.
Meanwhile, a cost-free group of laborers added to the stir in front of the school Thursday.
About a dozen Grace Fellowship Church members buzzed around flower beds and bushes, carting and laying fresh bark and trimming all types of foliage.
The school is one of 60 sites where church members do community service work throughout a six-day period.