Riverfront Park off Washington Street could be reopened to the public in about two weeks, depending on the weather and no other problems with suppliers.

“That’s what they’re (contractor Central Asphalt) shooting for,” said Brian Robbins with Stantec, the project engineer.

The park, which is operated and maintained jointly by the city of Vicksburg and Warren County, was closed in December to repair a then-2-year-old slide area on the park’s south side. The repairs were stopped for several months when an environmental problem was discovered at the park.

Robbins said the environmental problem was resolved and most of the work has been completed.

“The site work is done, as far as the dirt work and grass and the walking trail,” he said.

“They just have to put the fence back up and pour the playground, and they’ll be good to go.”

He said the Astroturf-like carpet surface that covered the park’s playground areas is being replaced by a rubberized surface, which will be installed by a subcontractor.

“They are getting the materials shipped for the playground surface,” Robbins said. “They’re expecting to get back in there Monday. This is a poured-in-place rubber material; it’s not the carpet like they used to have. That was the hold up (to an earlier opening); you’ve got to order the material and pick out colors.”

A section of the bluff on the south end of the park was discovered slowly sliding off the bank in April 2015, taking part of the park’s perimeter fence and walking trail, and threatening one play area, part of which sat on the slide.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Nov. 19 awarded a $324,347.70 contract to Central Asphalt of Vicksburg to repair the slide area and resurface the play areas.

Repairs were halted in January after oil believed left over from a former oil storage tank farm was discovered at the site forcing the project to be shut down for several months until the oil and the remnants of old slabs and retaining wall on site were removed.