After seven years of persistence by student government representatives, the Johnson Field lighting project has become a reality. ASUNM raised $260,000 from state appropriations in the last legislative session to help cover part of the $720,000 project costs. As President David Schmidly got on board, he promised the students that Johnson Field would be lit by the beginning of the fall semester.
Maria Probasco, Physical Plant Department project manager, expects the project will be done after the first week in August. She is working with contractor Prime Electric to install Musco Lighting fixtures. These sports quality lights are environmentally friendly and good for neighbors.
Musco Lighting is used at the Rose Bowl Stadium, various golf courses around the world, soccer fields and most sporting venues where lighting is needed.
Work this summer will include three to four weeks of digging a four-foot deep trench to install the electrical conduit and placing concrete bases. The contractor will need to close the field to activity while the 6,000 to 7,000 pound concrete
bases are put into place.
Redondo Drive should stay open during the project, but pedestrian access around the field will be limited. Once completed, the playing field will be lit
with advanced anti-glare and no-spill lights.
Media Contact: Sabra Basler, (505) 277-7590; e-mail: sbasler@unm.edu