TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The 60th Force Support Squadron, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron and civilian contractors are scheduled to renovate the red and blue tracks April 15 to Aug. 12 at Travis Air Force Base.
During this time, all Airmen will conduct the running portion for the physical training assessments on days with clear weather on Hangar Avenue near the David Grant USAF Medical Center south entrance.
“When the tracks were originally built, they were built as temporary tracks and they were not intended to be permanent,” said Tonya McCormick, 60th FSS fitness and sport center manager. “The tracks as you see, are in terrible condition. The plan is to remove the tracks and lay out a proper sub-base and rebuild the track for a more permanent outcome.”
The red and blue tracks were built in 2006 and 2010, respectively. Both were made to give Airmen a place they could run and perform their physical training assessments, but were not meant to be used for this length of time. Both tracks are being rebuilt with a plethora of enhancements to ensure a smoother, safer run.
“The new tracks will have 12 inches of a lime/cement-treated base consisting of pulverized asphalt and base rock and native soil,” said McCormick. “On top of that will be six inches of aggregate base, three inches of solid asphalt paving, and then one half inch of rubberized surface. All of that is the correct foundation for a track system. The new tracks will also have concrete curbs and trench drains for proper drainage.”
Both tracks are being renovated at the same time to expedite the process of restoring the tracks before the wet season in the fall. Restoring both tracks also helped save quite a bit of money for other projects, according to Lt. Col. Williams with the 60th Force Support Squadron.
These renovations to the tracks will bring them up to Air Force Instruction 34-266 Fitness, Sports and World Class Athlete Program and Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) 4-750-02N, Outdoor Sports and Recreational Facilities running track regulations.
“The track has definitely seen better days with all the potholes and sunken areas where you can easily twist your ankles. It can be pretty dangerous,” said Capt. Jessica Bertke, 60th Inpatient Squadron critical care clinical nurse and regular track user. “I use it a couple times a week so when they close down I’ll probably be using the duck pond trail.”
These new renovations to the track are to ensure Airmen are fit to fight, which will improve squadron readiness base wide.
“Having the track for Airmen who want to train is very important, whether it’s the 400-meter blue track or the kidney-shaped red track,” said McCormick. “These new tracks will give some flexibility with the rubberized surface that is gentler on the joints, bones and shins and help people to run longer. The end goal here is to make sure Airmen have a safe, long-lasting running surface for their physical fitness.”