Rose Park Pool

Interstate Engineering began working with the City of Billings Parks and Recreation Department on the Rose Park Pool in 1993. At this time, we were involved in renovating the Olympic-sized swimming pool, adding a new 2-flume tower waterslide and a zero-depth activity pool. The renovation included a new PVC pool liner, a new stainless-steel gutter, an underground pipe replacement, a new filtration building, and two new pressure sand filtration/disinfecting systems.

In 2012, Interstate Engineering again worked with Parks, Recreation, and Lands to design and construct improvements to the aquatic facility.

The project involved replacing two water slides, which had been installed in 1993, that had exceeded their design life and adding a new speed slide. The project involved installing the replacement slides on existing piers and placing the speed slide adjacent to the existing water slides. A new stairway and platform were added to the existing tower to provide access to the speed slide. Minor modifications were made to the existing piping to provide water to the new speed slide. No modifications to the pumps were required.

Beginning as a traditional design-bid-build project, Interstate Engineering proposed an alternative delivery method, a design-build process. This delivery method was recommended due to the tight schedule, potential cost savings for the project’s design phase, and technical complexities that would be best addressed through a design-build process. Hi-Tech Construction of Billings was selected and awarded the construction contract.

Several challenges were encountered during construction. It was found that the mounting bolts from the old slide had rusted, and some had sheared during the disassembly of the old structure. Since the plan was to reuse the existing foundation, there was no budget for replacement piers. The existing piers were used through design modifications, retrofit plates, and bolts. The project also required some creative plumbing modifications as the water supply plumbing for the new slides did not directly match the water supply from the original slides.

The grand opening for the Rose Park Water Slides took place on July 25, 2013. Billings Mayor Tom Hanel officially cut the ribbon and was the first to ride the slide.