Brandon Valley Updating School Parking Lot

A $1.2 million construction project is underway at Brandon Valley High School.
    
After having to make some quick deadlines to get it started, the school found out it was going to be able to put some of the money back in its pocket.
    
The re-construction of the school's parking lot is meant to make it safer and clear up some drainage issues.
    
The project started right after students left for the summer in order to have it done by the time they return. But the district just found it won't have to write as big of a check as originally thought.

"When our engineers designed the project, they were under a very tight window for the schedule," Brandon Valley Superintendent David Pappone said.

Pappone said because of that deadline, they were not able to test the old asphalt and sub-layer to see if it was re-usable.

"So we're going to design the project for all new material," Pappone said.

But once the district awarded the project to a construction company, the contractor was able to drill test bores in the old asphalt and realized it could be recycled and used as a sub-layer for a new surface.

"About $44,000 by allowing them to re-use the asphalt on site," Pappone said.

Crews ground it up on-site and laid it right back down. If they weren't able to do this, they would have had to bring in truckloads of crushed concrete to use, taking up precious time and of course, costing more money. But while the district is saving money, it could be eaten up in another way.

"With a project like this, we're just as likely to have change orders that go in the other direction.  In fact, we had one the other day that was about $6,000," Pappone said.

But so far, the project is still on the plus side, with cash left over. In the past, the district used the money on extra projects, but this isn't a normal year.

"In this particular year, we we're very, very tight on how we were budgeting the capitol outlay fund so well wait and see, but unlikely that it will get re-allocated," Pappone said.

The curb and gutter is now completed and the school expects to lay the new asphalt next week.