The estimated life span of the new bridge is 75 years, and crews need to apply a finishing coat to ensure it lasts that long, said Carrie Scarff, chief of planning and projects with MetroParks.
The Fountain of Lights in the river will not run when work on the bridge is going on, but finishing the project is a priority and crews will work on weekends to get it done, if weather allows, Scarff said.
The Fountain of Lights normally operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
But this year, the fountain will run nearly three additional weeks, through Sept. 26.
“Five Rivers MetroParks recognizes the Fountain of Lights is a prominent feature of the downtown landscape and a community asset, so to make up for lost time, MetroParks will extend the time the Fountain of Lights operates this year,” Scarff said.
The fountain features five water jets that shoot out of concrete towers and a powerful center geyser, the park agency said.
Earlier this month, MetroParks re-activated the interactive fountain at the top of the main stairs at RiverScape, leading down to the river banks.
The play fountain, popular with kids, was not turned on last year because of COVID-19 concerns.
The fountain will run through Labor Day, and so will the RiverScape Café, which is selling fan-favorite Flavor Burst ice cream.
Five Rivers MetroParks saw a large increase in park visitors last year, and its parks and facilities already have been quite busy this year.
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