Photo by Shonna Riggs

UPGRADING. Hahnville’s football field turned into dirt after the grass was uprooted and transferred to another location on campus. The installation of the artificial turf fields at both Hahnville and Destrehan should be complete by late July.

Both the Destrehan and Hahnville stadiums will be undergoing a reconditioning project that will make slight improvements to various parts of the stadiums. Neither one of the stadiums have been reconditioned in their 30 year existence.
The project will costs $1.4 million and will include concrete repairs, drainage improvements and more handicap accessibility, among others.

"Concrete repairs may be only two words, but it includes a whole host of repairs," Project engineer Danny Hebert said. "It's an involved project and it' something that all major stadiums undergo every 20 to 25 years."

After the reconditioning is complete, neither stadium should have to go through any major repairs for another 20 plus years.

Another major project currently underway is the installation of an artificial turf system at both high schools. Artificial turf was once considered a luxury item reserved for only private schools, but is becoming more and more commonplace on high school fields around the nation.

The grass is already being uprooted at Hahnville and Destrehan and will transported to another location for use on campus.

"The whole project should be complete by late July, barring anything unforeseen," Hebert said. "Once it's installed and the seams are sewn, it can be practiced on."

Artificial turf is made with millions of synthetic fibers sewn together with rubber granules providing cushion. That makes the field safer for student-athletes and also negates the impact of rain.

The turf will save the school district money in the long run by canceling out the need for another field at either location, and by allowing all teams, from soccer to band, to practice on the football field even if it has rained a short time before.