Bonfire Memorial Reopens After Maintenance Work
The Texas A&M University Bonfire Memorial and the adjacent Bonfire Memorial Parking lot reopened today following the completion of maintenance work that makes the walkways compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations. The maintenance work was carried out Aug. 22-Nov. 3. A guided audio tour of the memorial is available at tx.ag/bonfirememorialtour
While the site was scheduled to reopen Nov. 1, recent rains delayed the crew’s work.
The Bonfire Memorial walkways were previously covered with loose gravel, which was difficult to maintain and posed accessibility concerns to visitors of the site. After consultation with Robert Shemwell of Overland Partners, Inc. in San Antonio, one of the original designers of the memorial, Texas A&M University settled on a solution that would maintain the original design.
The maintenance consisted of gravel removal, regrading of walkways, and new gravel installation, along with a topical application of Klingstone, a water permeable product that binds materials together. Similar applications of this product have been used elsewhere on campus.
The newly graded walkways at the Bonfire Memorial will ensure that people of all abilities are able to visit the site, a memorial to the 12 lives lost at the bonfire collapse of 1999.
Media contact: Molly Painter, University Art Galleries, Texas A&M University Division of Student Affairs, 979-845-8501, mpainter@uart.tamu.edu.
