Thursday, August 30, 2012

Park Delays Start Next Week


August 28, 2012
Contacts: Vito Iacobazzi, park superintendent, 253-591-1027, vitoi@tacomaparks.com
Nancy Johnson, communications manager, 253-305-1092, nancyj@tacomaparks.com

Point Defiance Water Upgrade - Short-term Inconvenience for Long-term Environmental Benefits
Crews will begin a substantial upgrade to the irrigation main at Point Defiance Park on Tuesday, September 4. Construction to replace nearly 7,000 lineal feet of main line—roughly the length of 20 football fields—is expected to take approximately 8 weeks.

The work will affect pathways and turf from the Pearl Street entrance through the grassy bowl, pond and garden areas, as well as around the Visitors Center, Pagoda and tennis courts. Parking and the exit road on the backside of the gardens will be closed. It may be necessary to temporarily reroute traffic for a day or two at a time as connecting lines that run under roadways are replaced.

“Our contractors will do everything possible to minimize the impact on visitors,” said Vito Iacobazzi, Park Superintendent. “But, we want to prepare folks that this will be a major undertaking and will create some temporary inconveniences.”

The replacement is an important long-term solution to address leakage issues that have persisted, despite repairs over the past decade. Millions of gallons flow through the leaking main to irrigate this portion of the park. The upgrade is expected to reduce water usage by roughly 20% in this area.

Replacing the main will reduce leaks, helping conserve water and eliminating ongoing repairs. The project is part of a comprehensive energy service contract that Metro Parks has entered into with the State of Washington, which is designed to provide conservation and operating efficiency benefits.

1 comment:

Beth said...

Any idea how long this project will take?