Weather halts splash pad construction

As at many other construction sites, the weather has been taking its toll on construction for the new splash pad to be located in Russellville on Highway 24.

According to officials, the splash pad is still scheduled to make its grand opening at this year’s Jam on Sloss Lake on the Fourth of July, but there might be some modifications to the timeline.

“We are not for sure what the timeline is going to look like right now,” said Russellville Mayor David Grissom. “The goal is still for Fourth of July.”

Grissom said while the splash pad might manage a modified opening for Jam on Sloss Lake, it might have to close right after that for a few days to complete all of the details.

With one month left until opening, construction has still barely made progress at the site.

Grissom said equipment stands ready at the construction site to begin grading, but this cannot begin until things dry up from the recent rain.

“Everything right now is going to depend on the weather,” said Russellville Parks and Recreation Director Donnie Flanagan. “Everything was on schedule up until this point, but we can’t do anything about the weather.”

Once grading is complete, Grissom said installation is expected to go quickly.

“The goal is still for the Fourth, but it might end up looking a little different than we pictured,” Grissom said. “We just want to make sure to construct a high-quality splash pad everyone is going to enjoy.”

The splash pad will be located between John Blackwell Sports Complex and Sloss Lake on Highway 24, with an estimated cost of $444,729.50.

Of this amount, $309,000 comes from a donation from Pilgrim’s Pride, and the remaining amount comes from the 2019 Capital Improvement Fund.

The splash pad is expected to be 6,000 square feet and will be open in a typical season from Memorial Day to Labor Day.