RANDOLPH — A new traffic pattern at Randolph Central School is hoped to make for a safer campus when school starts up again on Tuesday.
Students, staff and anyone else arriving by car will find the traffic flowing two ways on both the east and west driveways at the school. The old, one-way pattern — that had commuters entering on the east drive and exiting on the west drive — no longer exists.
District residents voted in March 2015 on a capital project that was designed to address critical facilities and equipment needs in each of the buildings, along with vehicle and pedestrian safety concerns throughout the campus.
Kaine Kelly, superintendent of schools for Randolph Central School District, said work on the project officially began in May. While the work was not scheduled to start until July 1, he said crews took advantage of the dry spell this spring to get a jump on the site work, brick repointing and some of the classroom demo work.
“We knew the scope of this phase of the project was large, which made for a very aggressive, almost unrealistic schedule,” he said. “We are very glad we were able to get the early start because, with only a couple of minor exceptions, we are on or ahead of schedule in all areas.”
Kelly said construction should have little, if any, effect on the students this fall. The project is on schedule to complete all areas, with the exception of two science classrooms in the high school and some light poles in the elementary parking lot. He said casework for the science classrooms was due come off the assembly line last weekend and was expected to be delivered on Monday.
“Crews will be working extended shifts to get the casework installed and get out of the way of the other trades, so the electricians and plumbers can get their work done,” he said. “We anticipate this taking a little over two weeks. During that time, science classes in the high school will be held in other classrooms nearby. Light poles and any other minor site work items will occur after hours and around the students schedules.”
Kelly said both entrances and all of the parking areas would be getting lined and have new signs installed this week. Although residents may notice that the west driveway has not been repaved or widened, he said that work was not in the original scope of the project. However, he said, due to some hard work on change order solutions and creating problem solving throughout, they are under budget and are on track to be able to realize some wish-list items prior to the completion of the project at the end of next summer. One of the things on that wish-list is repaving the drive and widening the mouth of the west entrance.
“When the project is completed, there will be handicap spots and designated spots for visitors directly in front of the high school entrance,” he said.
According to Kelly, the new parking area down by the east driveway will greatly reduce the number of cars up on the campus on school days, and especially during events at the field/track. Combining that with multiple routes out will result in a significant reduction in the confusion and amount of time it takes to leave the campus. Most importantly, he said, it will be safer.
“As with any major change, it will be difficult for first time visitors. But our hope is, through proper communication, signage and staff involvement, that we will be able to ease the angst a new visitor might experience,” he said. “It will be a work in progress and all we ask people for is patience as we all learn this new way of doing things.”
To help alleviate some of the confusion, there will be an informational session on the new traffic patterns at an open house in the elementary school at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31.
(Contact reporter Deb Everts at salpressdeb@gmail.com.)
