Work has started on a $6.3 million Blacksburg High School ninth grade addition.

Contractor Randolph Builders of Charlotte started work on the Blacksburg High addition two weeks ago and is currently preparing the site for construction. Barring inclement weather delays, Southern Management senior manager Jim Britton said the project is scheduled for completion in August of 2007.

A 2-story 36,404 square-foot wing will be built on the former faculty parking lot next to the school cafeteria. The addition will include 12 regular classrooms, two physical science labs, two special education classrooms, two resource rooms and an addition to the band room.

The faculty parking area has been relocated to the front of the Blacksburg High gym. A 123-space parking lot was completed across from the school this summer to replace the parking spaces lost due to the addition.

A new 8,828 square-foot athletic fieldhouse behind the school gym will include team meeting and training room areas, a classroom, a weight room, stadium restrooms and concession areas.

School trustees added five alternates from the bid package to the base bid submitted by Randolph Builders on Aug. 19. A new football stadium entrance, a canopy and sidewalks, a small parking lot, data cabling and a new storm sewer system were added to the Blacksburg High project. The cost for the additional work is $248,800.

The total cost for the Blacksburg High additions are $6,317,880, which is within the construction budget of $6.4 million.