Two of the upgrades to the new Whitney Field home bleachers are "full handrails" (from the bottom to the top) and a wider walkway in front of the front rows.

Norwalk City Schools Superintendent George Fisk (left) and school board member John Lendrum chat while touring the new Whitney Field home bleachers Monday afternoon.

More than 45 volunteers from both Norwalk and St. Paul high schools took part in the bleacher project on two Saturdays in June. All of the bleacher boards were removed by the volunteers, saving thousands of dollars. New metal bleachers will be installed and ready to go before the high school football season kicks off in August.

New bleachers open for tonight's game

By Norwalk Reflector Staff • Updated Aug 24, 2017 at 6:28 PM

The new bleachers at Whitney Field have been inspected and are open for fans attending tonight’s high school football game featuring the Norwalk Truckers hosting the Willard Crimson Flashes.

The announcement was made late this afternoon.

Previously, school officials told the Reflector that a scheduling problem prevented the Richland County inspectors from being able to perform their work in time for tonight’s game.

In February, the board accepted a $282,562 bid to replace and upgrade the home-side bleachers. The entire process took slightly longer than a month.

The upgrades to the bleachers include: New all-aluminum decking, additional brace supports, new stairs and a handicapped-accessible ramp near the concession stand, full handrails from the bottom of the bleachers to the top, new fencing at the top and a wider walkway in front of the first row.

Previously, the only access to the concession side of the bleachers was the handicapped-accessible ramp, which held only about four wheelchairs. The wider walkway will hold as many as 12 wheelchairs.

Tonight’s game begins at 7. It’s the season-opener for both teams.