Equipment will begin arriving on site in the next week to improve parking lots and bus lanes at the Goochland Middle School/High School complex.
Phase I of the four-phase project will begin with grading the grassy area in the front of the property and relocating utilities. “We’re on a very tight timeline, and we needed to get started with site preparation before the end of this school year,” Director of Maintenance and Facilities Todd Steeley said. “We must have this phase of the project completed by August 2022 to ensure that buses can use the redesigned bus loops at the beginning of the new school year.”
The division will work closely with local contractor Crozier Construction Company LLC to limit the impact of starting the project while school is in session. “We anticipate that there will be some dust and noise as the project starts,” Steeley said. “But we all are focused on ensuring that teaching and learning continue at the schools without interruption.”
Since the project will begin on the middle school side of the property, end-of-year testing during the first month of construction will result in modifications to the middle school schedule on May 13 and 20. Additionally, all noisy construction will pause during the school day on May 18 and May 25 since testing will be primarily located in classrooms closest to the worksite. Middle school families will be directly notified of any schedule changes.
With the start of the project, access to sections of sidewalks on the property will be affected; however, all sidewalks will be restored, and several sections will be improved as the project moves forward. Additionally, lighting in the front parking lot will be temporarily disconnected. The back parking lot will not be affected by the project and can be used for night events through the end of the school year. Graduation for the Goochland High School Class of 2022 will still take place at Bulldog Stadium as scheduled.
After school dismisses for the summer, demolition will begin. New grading, drainage, pavement, sidewalk, and curbing will be constructed, as well as the relocation of utilities and installation of new lighting. In August, redesigned bus loops and drop-off/pick-up areas will open and address long-standing congestion and safety issues on the site.
Phase II of the project will begin after Phase I is completed. This phase will include constructing a new parking area in front of the school. Phase III includes regrading and repaving the current front parking lot. Phase IV includes improvements to Bulldog Way. All phases of the project are set to be completed by April 2023.