Synthetic turf on field at Barcroft Park to be replaced

The rectangular synthetic field at Barcroft Park is set for a revamp, including turf replacement, beginning in October.

Other repair work on synthetic field #5 includes replacing the infill and if necessary, some adjustments to the base material of the field, landscape architect Aaron Wohler said. The field is located at 4200 S. Four Mile Run Drive.

The field needs its turf to be replaced because the current turf has outlived its shelf life, Wohler said. He added that the project is not set to change the turf’s color or layout. No other changes are scheduled for the field at this time.

After starting this fall, construction at the field is set to finish by March next year, according to the project’s website.

This replacement project will cost about $325,000 and its funding comes from the county’s $12 million Synthetic Turf Program, Wohler said.

Despite the cost, the county still sees the benefit of artificial turf, which requires less day to day maintenance than a natural grass field and can be used extensively without killing the grass. Other benefits include better drainage and safety, with concussion-reducing shock absorption.

Arlington is “strategically moving forward with synthetic turf fields,” notes a county website.

This lighted, synthetic field is one of the six community athletic fields in the county where users of all ages can use it without a permit. Fields like this one have the most use on an individual basis among all types of fields, with each one getting on average around 2,100 hours of play every year, according to the county’s Public Spaces Master Plan.