Southern Hills Pool Opening Pushed to July 17 After Concrete Shortage

There's a delay in getting the Southern Hills pool open in Shreveport. I passed by the pool on Wednesday and the pool is empty and construction is still being done on the pool and the deck area. But on such a bright sunny day, I wondered why no workers were around getting the work done. SPAR Director Shelly Ragle quickly answered my questions. She says the contractor is waiting on the concrete pour which is now scheduled for Monday.

Ragle says the goal right now is to do the ribbon cutting on the Southern Hills pool on Friday, July 17.

The pool was supposed to open on June 30, but the recent rains and the availability of concrete has hampered the progress of getting the pool finished.

What's the Problem in Getting Concrete

Ragle says there is a shortage of concrete and concrete trucks in our region due to the Jimmy Davis Bridge construction. That is the largest ongoing project in the region, with a $360 million investment. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) has an ongoing $1.6 million project dedicated strictly to concrete panel removal and replacement across multiple local routes in Caddo and Bossier parishes. This is also delaying getting concrete for smaller jobs.

Credit: Erin McCarty

She also says SLB Manufacturing Hub Expansion is a $30 million project and it also is consuming vast amounts of commercial-grade concrete.

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When Will Airport Park Pool Open

Ragle says the ribbon cutting is now planned for Tuesday at 10am. They have been able to use a smaller concrete truck to get the materials needed for the sidewalks at that pool.

Ragle says this has been a challenging summer. She says we had 11 days of rain in June with a total of more than 7 inches. She adds: "So, on days it wasn’t raining we were having to pump water from the rain, it has been a real hindrance. But our contractor has been diligent."