There is a fresh coat of asphalt on the section of City Park Drive from its intersection with Johnson Avenue to just past the end of Bridgeport High School. The paving was done as part of the City of Bridgeport’s annual paving program.

 

If you look to the left or right of the section of roadway where it ends well before the entrance to City Park, you will see parking lots and roads. One parking lot sits behind BHS with a road meandering to Bridgeport Middle, while the other roadway takes you toward Johnson Elementary and a graveled area near the visitor’s ticket booth at Jamison Field.

 

The roads and parking areas have seen better days. The good news is that the process to do something about it has begun. This month, the Harrison County Board of Education put in a request to receive proposals from architectural and engineering firms to do paving in those areas.

 

“It’s in pretty bad shape,” said Harrison County Schools Assistant Superintendent Jimmy Lopez.

 

Lopez said the county keeps track on the condition of all their facilities but was aware of a need to address the BHS parking area as the completion of the Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan (CEFP). He said Principal Matt DeMotto also let the school system know of the deteriorating lots.

 

“It was on our radar and through the CEFP process you have to take everything into account and that was one that stood out,” said Lopez.

 

Along with the above-mentioned areas, some of the paved and unpaved areas heading between BHS and BMS behind both schools will be attended to. As for the timeline to get it started and completed, that is an unknown.

 

What is knows is that the RFPs from the professional firms are due today. After that, the elected Board of Education will have to give its approval on the firm recommended by staff. Following that, a scope of work and cost estimate for services will have to be determined before work on the A/E side can begin.

 

Once that is worked out, the A/E firm will be responsible for drawing up plans and getting the project put out to be bid. The bid process also takes time and requires approvals before getting started. In laymen’s terms, that means the project will not be starting immediately.

 

The project is not simply paving. Some areas that are unpaved will be addressed and there will be some drainage issues needing to be handled as well.

 

Lopez said it will be a six-figure project. The project will be combined with an entrance change project at Nutter Fort Elementary School.

 

Editor's Note: Top two photos show the areas behind BHS that have some patched and deteriorating roadways and parking areas, while the freshly paved section of City Park Drive is shown below.