Stonington — As of Wednesday, the football field and track at the high school will be closed until further notice as crews begin the installation of the artificial turf field.

A public groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Donald Palmer field for the $2.7 million project, which also calls for repairing the grass fields behind the high school.

Public Works Director Joe Bragaw said today that RAD Sports of Rockland, Mass., which has installed numerous artificial turf fields including the one at Gillette Stadium, plans to begin removing the existing grass field starting next week. The field is expected to be completed by mid-August and be ready for use this fall. Work on the grass fields will then begin.

Last fall, voters approved the project to build the artificial turf field and repair the softball, boys’ soccer and field hockey fields and make other improvements to the athletic complex. The fields had deteriorated because of overuse.

RAD bid $969,000 for the work at Palmer Field, which the town had estimated would cost $1.1 million. It was the lowest of the four bids the town received.

Because of the work, the June 19 high school graduation will be held at the Coast Guard Academy in New London.