LEXINGTON, S.C. — Gibson Pond Park, which has been closed to fix the dam that's been washed out for more than five years, is expected to reopen in June.
You may have noticed a lot of construction going on at the park for the past couple of months. A lot of progress can be seen as crews have been building the bridge and new fishing piers coming to the popular spot.
"It's exciting. There's been a lot of progress recently and you can actually see it," said Laurin Barnes, spokesperson for the Town of Lexington. "It's just an exciting time, and we're looking forward to having the park back."
Back in 2015, the Gibson Pond Dam broke due to heavy flooding. Since then, the town has been working with FEMA obtain funding to have it rebuilt.
The total cost of the project is $5 million. 75 percent of the project for the public park project will be paid by FEMA, and the town will take care of the remaining 25 percent.
"The bridge is going to come in three different phases. The first part of the bridge will come at the end of this week," explained Barnes. "In the weeks after that, the other parts of the bridge will come and they'll assemble it and they'll put it into place."
Town officials expect construction of the bridge to be completed by the end of May. They'll continue to work on rebuilding a fishing dock and picnic shelters before reopening in June.
"Gibson Pond Park has a long history in the Town of Lexington, and so we're just looking forward to families being able to come out here and enjoy the park, fish, enjoy the picnic tables, etc.," said Barnes. "We're just really happy to have this park back."