Stonington — The second phase of the $2.8 million athletic field improvement project is almost complete, less than two months after the artificial turf football field was installed. Public Works Director Joe Bragaw said Thursday that the boys’ soccer field has been completed with new drainage and sod, the field hockey field is almost complete and the softball field which had to be rebuilt will be done within the next 10 days.

All fields will be ready for use next spring. Bragaw again praised the work of R.A.D Sports of Rockland, Mass., the firm which along with its subcontractors, installed both the artificial turf field and the grass fields. Bragaw said work still has to be done to improve the drainage and realign the all purpose field which is used by the girls soccer team. A sprinkler system has to be installed on the football practice field and repairs have to be made to the outdoor basketball courts.

He said the athletic fields committee is now discussing the construction of a storage building at the complex. Voters approved funding for the project after town and school officials said work needed to be done to repair the fields. In some cases they were deemed not fit to host games for high school teams.Part of the problem was that the fields could not recover because of heavy use from not only the high school teams but also from youth and recreation teams.

That problem is expected to be alleviated with the installation of artificial turf on Donald Palmer Field. While a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the artificial turf field was held before a girls’ varsity field hockey game last month, the rededication of the field will be held before the first home football game on Oct. 11.