Construction of Its Track Has CSUN Going in Circles : Rescheduling: Strametz requests delay of project. Matadors won’t host meets.

NORTHRIDGE — The Cal State Northridge track and field program will gain a new track this year, but it will not be completed in time for the Matadors to stage home meets this season.

Construction of the track was originally scheduled to begin in late February or early March, but the start date was moved to May 20 on Wednesday to allow Northridge’s athletes to train at the facility. The work is expected to take six to eight weeks.

Northridge Coach Don Strametz asked that the project be delayed until the end of the season.

“I said, ‘That’s no problem,’ ” said Alan MacDonald, a construction engineer at Northridge who will oversee the project for the school. “The only reason I set the earlier date was because I thought he wanted to get things done as soon as possible.”

Northridge already has canceled five all-comers meets that were scheduled in December, January and February.

The Northridge Invitational, an annual collegiate and open meet, is tentatively scheduled for March 25, but it probably will be run at Birmingham High instead.

In addition, the Northridge-Alemany Relays, an annual high school invitational scheduled for March 11, will be either canceled or moved to Birmingham. The Mission League prelims and finals, and several youth meets set for May and June, also will be staged elsewhere.

The current nine-lane, 440-yard tartan track at Northridge, which was installed in 1985, is marred by several uneven areas caused by ridges in subsurface soil.

Although Northridge athletes continue to train on the track, the facility has been deemed unfit for meets.

MacDonald said that the new track is expected to cost nearly $400,000.

The majority of the funding--approximately $350,000--will come from the state special repairs fund for facilities improvement.

Strametz has privately expressed concern about the project’s funding, but he will not comment publicly.

“I can understand (Strametz) being a little pessimistic about this because he’s wanted to get this done for three or four years now and it hasn’t happened,” MacDonald said. “But I don’t see any problems when it comes to money.”

A meeting involving MacDonald, Strametz, track consultant Jim Baux and contractors who will bid on the project will take place at Northridge on Feb. 13. A contract will be awarded a week later.

The first part of the construction will involve pulling up the track and infield runways and leveling the soil underneath. Layers of asphalt will then be laid down and covered with a tartan surface.

The new track will measure the standard 400 meters per lap.