The Knoxville School Board approved a bid for the athletics complex parking lot project at their meeting Monday.

The board approved a contract with Absolute Group Construction for just over $507,000 for the project that will consist of paving of the gravel lot by the softball field and Randy Wilson Track and new lighting, along with a sidewalk addition. School Business Manager Craig Mobley says the district intended to go out for bid on the project a year ago, but ultimately waited for a better bidding period. The district received 17 bids for the project, and they ended up approximately $100,000 below what the estimate was. The project is expected to start in May and Mobley says this will periodically affect traffic on Panther Drive.

“There will be some changes with traffic patterns around that area on Panther Drive. We will probably have to close at least one lane of Panther Drive for a large section while this project is ongoing but look for some information to come out. It will be nice come next fall for football season, we will have a nice new paved and lit parking lot and a nice new sidewalk that will connect the new middle school with Panther Drive.”

The Knoxville athletics complex upgrades are expected to take a month and a half to complete.