Thank you for your patience
Editor:
Evergreen Park & Recreation District (EPRD) would like to THANK the community for its patience and understanding during the Evergreen Lake House bridge replacement project. The construction company, Myers & Sons, has worked incredibly hard to get this project completed as quickly as possible, but there have been some delays. While the City and County of Denver (CCD) along with Evergreen Metropolitan District (EMD) and EPRD had hoped this project would be finished in mid-January, the new target date is now early-mid February.
We know the community has missed having this winter outdoor recreation area being available, however this major project needed to be done for the safety of our patrons. The bridge was damaged in the 2013 flood, and various challenges had arisen over the years in order to get the repairs finished. To explain all the issues and struggles over the last six years would take more space than is available, but all entities involved had the same end goal which was to fix the structural integrity of the bridge.
Other priorities/projects competing for time and resources, unexpected setbacks such as moving an electric pole, concerns for operational downtime, and managing water tables were all part of the challenges working with different entities. Yet, the end result is something everyone will be pleased with for many years to come. The community can look forward to many fun-filled winter and summer seasons now that the bridge is finally completed.
EPRD explored alternative ways of opening for events and ice skating, but it came down to public safety. If the bridge wasn’t accessible, the response time for emergency personnel would be delayed, so the hard decision to remain closed while the construction took place was the right one to make. We know the closure of the ice skating and hockey not only affected our fiscal operations, but also many local merchants that rely on ice skating patrons to visit their businesses. EPRD certainly wants to encourage individuals to stop by the many restaurants and shops to show them some love.
While we know it will be a very short ice skating season, EPRD is planning to extend the skating hours and season to the best of our ability to hopefully allow everyone a chance to get on the ice and enjoy Evergreen Lake. EPRD has been grooming the ice and training staff so we can literally open as soon as construction is completed. Again, we THANK everyone for their patience and support during this process and we hope to see you out skating soon on Evergreen Lake!
Ellen O’Connor
Executive Director, Evergreen Park & Recreation District