Structural steel is about 75 percent complete on the octagonal two-story main metal building of the new Bainbridge High School in Georgia.

The first-floor concrete slab of the main building is complete and about one-third of the second floor has been poured.

"We come out here and pour concrete about three or four in the morning," said Chris Plummer, construction site superintendent. "It's the best time to get it done but, since we don't leave work until about six in the evening, it makes for a long day around here."

The concrete slabs have been poured for the commercial steel building that will be mostly English classrooms, and out from that wing, the building where the band and choral rooms are going, Plummer said.

Underground utilities, storm sewer and sanitary sewer system are complete. The power lines and water distribution lines will be completed next week, while masonry work has been started.

Next week the structural steel will be going up on the gymnasium building. Plummer said crews have started work on the athletic field area, specifically on the baseball dugouts and for the field house.

"We want to do everything we can possibly do to have all the athletic areas readied for grass seed or spray, so that they can have grass growing by the end of summer 2008," said Plummer.

That doesn't necessarily mean that construction will be finished and the school ready to open then. Estimated date of completion is late spring or early summer of 2009.

Structural steel erection will continue at various parts of the new high school metal building until after the first part of 2008, Plummer said, on the classroom and band/choral wing, the other classroom wing on the front, and the science and vocational wings.