Freedom Park turf areas, baseball fields, pathway closed through Sept. 17 – Vail Daily News

EDWARDS Freedom Park's main turf area, south baseball fields and the pathway connecting these areas, as well as adjacent parking, will be closed to public access from July 17 to Sept. 17 for improvement projects.

Eagle County will be replacing the existing turf field with a new field that will include a paved-in-place shock pad to reduce the force of impact when falls occur, as well as permanent field markings for soccer and men and women's lacrosse.

The new turf fields will replace existing sections in Freedom Park that were installed in 2003. The average useful life of an artificial turf playing field is eight to 10 years. The life of the Western Eagle County Metropolitan Recreation District field turf was extended due to lack of use during approximately five months of the year when the field is under snow.

The total cost of the replacement is $678,518 and is being paid for out of the county's Capital Improvement Fund.

During the same timeframe, WECMRD will be replacing the current dirt infields with turf, a safer playing surface that extends playable seasons. The project will utilize environmentally friendly manufacturing and has the additional benefits of water conservation and an overall reduction in maintenance costs and supplies.

The total cost of the WECMRD portion of the project is $422,000. The contractor for the turf replacement and installation project is Hellas Construction, headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information on Freedom Park section closures, contact Mike Staten at 970-777-8888 or mstaten@wecmrd.org.

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Freedom Park turf areas, baseball fields, pathway closed through Sept. 17 - Vail Daily News