Flooding at North Little Rock's Burns Park Soccer Complex has caused Saturday's CARTI Tour de Rock to relocate its start and finish point from the soccer fields to near the River Trail Station, between the Junction Bridge and Interstate 30 downtown.
The 100-mile bicycle tour, along with routes of shorter distances, is the biggest event scheduled at Burns Park to be affected by recent flooding from the Arkansas River, according to the North Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department. In its 12th year, the Tour de Rock, which goes through North Little Rock, Little Rock, Scott and England, attracts an estimated 1,000 cycling enthusiasts annually from across the country.
The U.S. Youth Soccer Region III (South) Championships, scheduled for June 19-25 at Burns Park and expected to attract approximately 3,600 players and 12,000 spectators from 11 states, will be held as planned, Parks Director Bob Rhoads confirmed Tuesday.
"We're still planning on having that one," Rhoads said. "We should dry out by then from what I see from projected weather forecasts."
Other affected events at the soccer complex were: the Ronde Van Burns Summer Criterium Series cycling race, scheduled for May 20, May 27, today and June 10, was tentatively rescheduled for September; the May 16 River City 5K was moved; the Saturday Run Between the Lines was canceled; and the Saturday BAPS Charities Walk-a-thon was postponed until a date to be announced.
The Arkansas River level in Little Rock was recorded at 22.43 feet at 3 p.m. Tuesday and is projected to rise to its flood stage of 23 feet today, according to the National Weather Service.
Metro on 06/03/2015