Riverwalk Skatepark Won’t Close For Months On End: City

BRADENTON, FL — Skateboarders bummed that the closing of the Bradenton Riverwalk skatepark would ruin their summers can breathe a sigh of relief. While the park may close periodically as work continues on the DeSoto Bridge, the city has announced it will be open most days.

Last week, the Florida Department of Transportation announced plans to close the skatepark from May 1 until Sept. 1 as a $1.1 million repair project on the bridge takes place. That news, however, wasn’t well-received considering summer’s impending arrival.

Jim McLellan, director of Bradenton’s Public Works & Utilities Department, announced on Monday a deal to keep the park open for most of the summer. Under the deal, the skatepark will only close after the city and FDOT have both received 48 hours’ notice from the contractor.

“A closure would likely occur only when the contractor is pumping concrete,” a Monday email from the city said.

Once the city receives notification of the need to close the skatepark, it intends to publish information about the days the park will be off limits to skaters on the city’s website at www.cityofbradenton.com.

While parts of Riverwalk may need to close from periodically as construction on the bridge continues, the bridge will remain open to traffic, FDOT has said. Work involves concrete repairs, new pile jackets and repairing the bridge’s fender system.

Photo courtesy of the city of Bradenton