When Bridgeport High School wanted to build a new concession stand and ticket booth area at Wayne Jamison Field several years ago, there was one problem. The area where much of the work was to take place was being utilized as the parking lot and workers terminal for Harrison County buses serving the Bridgeport community.

 

Officials worked with the BOE and found a suitable place to relocate the buses along a section land behind Bridgeport Middle School and the BMS softball complex. The move, according to officials such as HCBOE Clerk of the Works Neil Quinn, has worked out quite well.

 

Several years later, however, there is a need for an upgrade. Although nothing is failing, the Board of Education recently awarded a bid to do something that wasn’t done at the time the new parking area was open for use.

 

“It’s going to get paved,” said Assistant Harrison County Superintendent of Schools Anthony Fratto. “Since it’s been there, which predates my arrival, it’s been gravel based and sometimes that gravel wears thing during heavy rains and gets sloppy. We looked at it and are going to put some asphalt down as it’s needed.”

 

The bid for the work on the bus paving was part of a $140,794 bid that was recently awarded to Bear Contracting of Bridgeport. Along with the bus terminal, the parking lot at Salem Elementary and the circular entrance to Liberty High School will be paved. Quinn said that the Bridgeport project is the largest portion of the contract; coming in at $63,308.

 

Fratto said the Bridgeport site has served the community it’s located in well. He said the best thing about the still relatively new bus area behind BMS is that it’s a very secure location.

 

“It’s been a great fit for a number of reasons, including that it’s out of the way and we can secure the area with a locked gate,” said Fratto. “In 2014, someone actually went to the Bristol terminal and stole all the batteries. Part of the problem there is that it’s not a secure location.”

 

Fratto said the Bristol location is closing. He said it will be consolidated with Shinnston and Gore for a secure location similar to the one in Bridgeport. The Bridgeport terminal serves all the public schools in Bridgeport, said Fratto.

 

Work is anticipated to begin this summer.