For those traveling near Bradford High School this week, a significant project complete with crane, has been catching attention. Parkway Field, which provides a backdrop for football and soccer games and gives traction to marching band practices and events, is getting new lighting.

According to Business Manager Amy Yohe, “Energy efficiency has become an increasingly important focus for the Bradford Area School District, as it has throughout Pennsylvania. Last summer, Maintenance Director Gene Woodmansee, along with former maintenance employee Matt Mongillo, identified the outdated lighting at Parkway Field as a potential improvement project.”

Cost savings, improved visibility and efficiency through better control and automation are all on tap for the district, thanks to this project.

According to district officials, the existing Musco lighting system consisted of 48 high-pressure sodium fixtures mounted on four poles. As the system aged, it no longer produced the necessary light levels, and repairs became increasingly costly due to the need for replacement bulbs, ballasts, and lift rentals for maintenance access.

Estimates predict that retrofitting the field with high-efficiency LED lighting will generate approximately $26,539 in savings over the next 10 years through reduced energy consumption and maintenance costs, per district officials.

Materials were provided by Musco Lighting, which was awarded the $138,500 contract through the COSTARS cooperative purchasing program. Officials say the district’s maintenance team has undertaken the installation work in-house in an effort to maximize savings.

“The team is pleased to report that the project is approximately halfway complete. With the assistance of a crane rental provided by Swanson Fabrication, the old fixtures have been removed,” Yohe reported. “The new LED fixtures have been installed and laser-aligned to ensure precise placement based on the field’s unique pole configuration. Once the remaining electrical work is finished, Musco Lighting will return to certify the lighting levels and activate the system’s 10-year warranty.”

In addition to energy and cost savings, the new system includes Musco’s BallTracker® luminaires. These specialized fixtures direct light upward to illuminate high soccer balls and footballs, improving visibility while reducing glare for athletes and spectators. Community members will also notice significantly less light spill emanating from the field during nighttime use.

Unlike the previous manual system, the new lighting can be scheduled with automated timers, reducing unnecessary operating hours and further improving efficiency.

The Bradford Area School District expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the project, extending “a special thank you to the community members, student-athletes, and sports teams who have experienced disruptions due to the temporary closure of the facility during construction.”

As Woodmansee noted, “The new lights will be worth the wait.”