For those individuals that have expressed past concerns the City of Bridgeport’s swimming pool would be without a high dive as plans are being considered to install a new slide, they can put those concerns aside – at least for now.

 

Bridgeport Parks and Recreation Director Don Burton confirmed that the high dive will be in place for the 2015 pool season. As for next year or the years after, that’s not nearly as certain.

 

For the past few years, dollars have been escrowed for a new slide at the pool facility. However, those plans were put on the backburner when the city recently discovered the retaining wall behind the diving boards and against Simpson Creek was slipping.

 

Last month, however, the retaining wall issued was repaired thanks to a $130,000 project. Now, Burton said the pool deck is secure and should easily be able to handle the weight a new slide in the future.

 

“I think the weight of a slide wouldn’t be an issue,” said Burton. “The way it would be set up you would have weight distributed by the posts and the legs sufficiently that it wouldn’t be a problem. The weight isn’t the issue, the real issue is the operational logistics as it relates to the slide.

 

“The good news is that we have time to determine if we can make this happen,” Burton said. “I think if it becomes reality the earliest you’d see work begin on this in the fall and winter of 2015 or the start of 2016.”

 

Burton said when the slide was initially discussed it seemed like an easy amenity to add. However, once it was looked at the operational issues became a problem.

 

“Where would the splash zone be? In other words, where does the slide dump the swimmers? You’re looking at either a 12-foot area or a 5.5-foot section for that to happen,” said Burton. “Either way, you have the issue of public swimming and the bigger issue of the swimming lanes being interrupted for the swim teams that are major utilizers of the pool. We’ve known about these questions for a while and it’s now time to ponder them and see what, and if, there is a proper solution.”

 

In the meantime, the regular low and high dives will be in place this year. Burton said the low dive will remain in place regardless of the installation of a slide.

 

This year, the dives will be in the best shape they’ve been in for some time. P&R Deputy Director Joe Shuttleworth said that during the retaining wall project the boards were taken out and then re-installed. Everything was touched up during the re-assembly that was handled by the contractors doing the retaining wall work, he said.

 

Along with the re-assembly, P&R staff also worked on the boards. Shuttleworth said new safety netting has been added on both dives. He also said hand rails that were showing early signs of rust were replaced.

 

“We’re getting it ready to go,” Shuttleworth said. “This is a sure sign that the swimming season is right around the corner.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows P&R staff working on the diving boards, while the bottom photo is an artistic rendering of what the new slide area will potentially look like.