The Albert Lea Area Schools Hammer Complex will get a new athletic track this summer.

The Albert Lea school board awarded a bid for the project Tuesday night to Fisher Tracks, a track installation company, for $111,520.

The project is planned for in the 2016 budget, said Lori Volz, director of finance and operations.

Director of Facilities Steve Anderson said he hopes construction on the track will begin in July and will be finished by August.

The entire surface of the track around the varsity football field will be removed and replaced.

The high jump area on the west end of the football field is also planned for surface replacement.

Anderson said a new, automatic timing system that fits Big Nine Conference standards that the school installed last year will be utilized more effectively.

He said he has received complaints from track and field athletes who said the surface is uneven and worn down.

The project has been on the school’s radar for about four years.

Anderson said an outside review of the athletic track was taken that found it needed to be replaced now before its condition deteriorates to the extent that it costs more to replace.

Albert Lea Activities Director Afton Wacholz said the resurfacing project is a safety concern for the school’s athletes due to the track’s age and general wear and tear.

She said there are holes that have started to appear and some of the existing surface is crumbling.

The upgrade will benefit a wide spectrum of the school’s athletic teams, from cross country and track to volleyball, soccer and football, who use the track for conditioning purposes, she said.

“Our students’ safety is the No. 1 priority when it comes to projects of this nature, as well as providing them quality facilities to display their hard work and talents,” Wacholz said.

She said community programs also use the track, such as the Albert Lea Family Y and The Arc of Freeborn County.

“This is a project that will greatly impact our community as a whole,” Wacholz said.

She said the track will likely remain black.

Wacholz said the facility as a whole is need of an upgrade, including bathroom facilities, bleachers and locker rooms. She hopes to address the issue in the near future.