The waterslide at the Durango Community Recreation Center pool reopened Wednesday, one day after the city described an uncertain timeline for reopening the amenity and expressed optimism it would reopen “very soon.”
The slide closed May 13 after minor concrete deterioration and cracking was discovered during an annual state inspection, city spokesman Tom Sluis told The Durango Herald on Tuesday. At the time, a reopening timeline was uncertain. But a Facebook post Wednesday morning from the city of Durango confirmed the slide was back in operation.
“The wait is finally over!” the post read. “Everything has been thoroughly tested and deemed 100% safe, and we are absolutely thrilled to welcome you all back to our beloved Big Blue Slide at the Durango Recreation Center.”
Durango Parks and Recreation also announced the slide’s reopening on its Facebook page Wednesday.
An engineering company had previously inspected the slide and determined it was structurally sound and in acceptable condition to reopen and remain open for another one to two years before repairs would need to be made, Sluis said. But the city was waiting on state inspector approval to officially reopen the side as of Tuesday, he said.
The city was previously asked by the engineering company to install netting beneath affected areas of the slide “in the unlikely instance any flakes of concrete could come loose,” Sluis said.
Sluis told the Herald on Tuesday that the city was “making plans to address the cracks and flaking as soon as possible.”
Reader Comments