Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday at Kauai Raceway Park, also known as Mana Drag Strip, to mark the start of construction of a $1 million project to repair the facilities and resurface the pavement, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said.

The state Legislature provided $246,000 for design and construction management and $847,000 for construction.

The track was last resurfaced in 1972. The raceway has deteriorated so much as to make it unsafe, officials said in a news release.

The Garden Isle Racing Association has worked with the department and design consultant Limtiaco Consulting Group to ensure that the track is constructed to National Hot Rod Association specifications. The project is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 2.