You can watch Saturday’s implosion of the four power stacks at the James River Power Station.
City Utilities plans to implode four stacks at 9 a.m.
The Springfield-Greene County Park Board says Lake Springfield Park will be open starting at 6:30 a.m. Saturday.
There are 250 parking spots available.
There will also be several road closures in the area so the implosion can be conducted safely.
You can also watch the implosion live on the City Utilities Facebook page.
Press Release
The Springfield-Greene County Park Board welcomes spectators to Lake Springfield Park to view Saturday’s stack implosion at the James River Power Station.
City Utilities of Springfield plans to implode four exhaust stacks at the partially decommissioned James River Power Station Saturday, Feb. 19, at 9 a.m.
CU plans to offer a public viewing area just south of the power plant. Lake Springfield Park, located just north of the power plant, offers an alternative location with scenic views of the site, across Lake Springfield. The park and CU’s viewing area are the only places where vehicles may park during implosion. No parking is allowed along the roadway. Recreation areas at the Tailwaters Access and Clay Henshaw Memorial Access will be closed.
Lake Springfield Park opens at 6:30 a.m. Saturday and may accommodate about 250 vehicles in designated parking areas. Spectators are advised to arrive early and be prepared to park and walk to find the best viewing spots, near the Hilltop Pavilion, the scenic overlook and along the James River Greenway. Parking is first-come, first-served, and is available in designated areas only. Carpooling is encouraged. Vehicles may not block the road, and due to heavy rainfall this week, vehicles may not park in the grass or on shoulders.
Travelers in the Lake Springfield area are advised that several road closures are planned Saturday morning beginning at 8:30 a.m., blocking access over Lake Springfield Dam, including:
- S. Crenshaw Road and E. Ridgecrest Street
- S. Kissick Avenue and E. Farm Road 188
- S. Kissick Avenue and S. Lake Ridge
In addition, starting at 8:30 a.m., vehicles exiting Lake Springfield Park may make a right turn only. No left turns will be allowed until Lake Springfield Dam is reopened.
Though boat rentals are closed for the season, spectators are welcome to put in their own canoe and kayaks at Lake Springfield from the park. Paddlers must keep a distance of at least 1,000 feet from the power station 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Lake Springfield Park opened in 1957 on land owned by City Utilities. The park overlooks the namesake lake, which was created when the James River was dammed to provide water for cooling the power plant. Today, through a long-term lease with City Utilities, the Park Board operates the 158-acre park, featuring rolling hills, trails, woods, bluffs, boating and fishing access, an 18-hole disc golf course and more than a mile of shoreline along beautiful Lake Springfield.
