Turf fields near completion

MILFORD — There’ll be many happy sports players come winter, when construction on two large turf fields in Milford will be completed. One of the fields is at Jonathan Law High School, on Lansdale Ave., and the other is by Foran High School, on Foran Road.

Construction on both projects broke ground over the summer. Together, they cost approximately $5 million.

“With the completion of these fields, our youth and adult athletic f acilities outdoors should be well positioned for generations to come,” Milford Mayor

Benjamin Blake said.

Fields

At Jonathan Law, there’ll be a brand new turf softball and baseball field, as well as a multi-purpose field to be used for sports such as soccer, lacrosse and football. Construction, which began a month and a half ago, is expected to be competed by the end of f all.

On the other side of town, on French Drive next to Foran, two new multi-purpose fields are being built.

“Last year, we put in a turf softball field that was named in honor of Danni Kemp, who was a Foran High School softball player who lost her battle with cancer,” Blake said.

“It was done in time for the 2020 softball team to play,” he added.

However, due to the pandemic, the team only got to play once, in an exhibition game.

“There is a brand new softball field that has almost never been played on,” he said.

Next to that field, “we are installing two multipurpose turf fields, which will be 120 by 65 [feet], and striped so they can accommodate youth soccer, football, and lacrosse,” he added.

A part of the construction project involves drainage.

“That field has notoriously been wet,” Blake said. “The last couple of seasons, they could not play due to drainage.”

While some sewer line work was involved with the construction, including the replacement of a sewer line, starting Monday, construction will start in earnest, according to Blake.

Advantages of turf fields

Blake spoke of the advantages of turf fields versus grass fields.

With a regular grass field, play should be moderated, and they are affected by rainy weather conditions. According to Blake, the benefit of turf fields is they can be played on

seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and not get “beat up.”

“Turf fields have a lot more playability on them

and can sustain a lot more use,” he said.

Jonathan Law Athletics / Contributed photo Construction is ongoing on the Jonathan Law High School fields in Milford. In addition to the continued work on the drainage system, the baseball and softball scoreboards have been moved and installed. The softball scoreboard will now be in right center field, and the baseball scoreboard will be in left field.