An early freeze and a wet October have had minimal impact on the installation of a new playing surface at Davenport's Modern Woodmen Park.

Quad-Cities River Bandits general manager Kirk Goodman said crews from Bush Sports Turf of Milan, Ill., have worked six-day weeks to keep the $560,000 project on schedule.

"The hope is to have the majority of the work completed by the first week of November," Goodman said. "It's a big project, and while rain has slowed things down a bit, they've been out working just about every day."

The new playing surface is designed to correct drainage problems that left Quad-Cities first or second in the Midwest League games postponed because of field conditions in five of the six years since the stadium was renovated in 2004.

New drainage has been installed and a gravel base has been placed below a layer of sand and peat. Crews continued to move sand into place late last week.

The new field will have 10 inches of root zone, which is designed to optimize its ability to drain water while providing a level playing surface.

"There will be a two-tier water storage system above the drainage level, something that will allow the field to take an exceptional amount of water in a short period of time," Goodman said. "When this is completed, this will bring our field up to the level that it should be at for a professional baseball facility."

Goodman said plans include completing work in time for the new surface to be watered this fall, allowing the root system to begin to establish itself before the onset of winter weather.

"As long as everything is in place by mid-November, we should be in good shape," Goodman said.