WOOD RIVER MUNICIPAL POOL

The Wood River Pool Municipal Swimming Pool is an exciting amenity that is owned and operated by the City of Wood River, Nebraska. Known for its friendly small-town ambiance, Wood River has city leaders who work hard to provide big-time amenities like an excellent school system, impressive downtown library, and now a $5.6 million recreational pool with many special features.

The heated pool offers a raft water slide, a lazy river feature, a splash pad, two diving boards, including a three-meter board at the deep end, and a crawl-across feature. The pool also has a zero-depth entry area for toddlers, as well as swimming lanes for competition by teens in the summer.

A vortex inside the lazy river will keep rafts moving—in fact, it’s the first one in Nebraska. Across from the zero-entry area, an ADA lift will assist handicapped persons into the swim area of the pool. Plans called for shaded canopy areas surrounding the pool, where parents can keep tabs on children and where families can enjoy cold drinks, ice cream, and other treats from the snack bar.

Wood River citizens will be able to take advantage of the facility’s plans to offer swim lessons and the option to rent the pool for birthday parties and other summer celebrations.

Lacy Construction’s buildout of the 8,777-square-foot, 290,000-gallon municipal pool includes features designed to enhance safety and attractiveness. For instance, numerous trench drains throughout the pool deck will remove splashed water quickly to reduce slips and falls. The masonry pool house features a rustic wood timber truss exterior seating area. A wood-framed mechanical building will house the facility’s tools and pool equipment.

Innovative equipment and techniques were implemented too. Our vibratory pile driver—used to drive pilings for a few of the deep excavations—increased safety for our men as well as efficiency. The equipment allows the jaws to remain tightly closed in case of a broken line. The material stays locked in the clamping device, eliminating the risk of accident. It also kept banks from collapsing which could undermine adjacent structures.

Another technique our team employed was to fill the pool vessel with water while we backfilled the walls — that maneuver helped equalize the pressure on both sides of the wall. The benefit? It reduced stress on the walls which prevented potential cracking.

The Wood River Municipal Pool project has been exciting, challenging, instructive, and enjoyable (despite construction occurring during the cold winter months!). At Lacy Construction, we believe in the value of exceptional teams. In this case, the team: the owner, the architect/engineer, the suppliers, and the Lacy Team—all performed seamlessly.