Lion under wraps
Little Rock Parks and Recreation employees Michael Hall Sr. (left), and Michael Hall Jr., cover up two of three lion sculptures Tuesday in the War Memorial Park roundabout near the Little Rock Zoo, in preparation for their official unveiling today at 6 p.m. Because of the unveiling, Zoo Drive will be closed to traffic from 5-7 p.m. today. The sculptures, by sculptor Darrell Davis, are made of cast aluminum. One is of a male lion, and the others depict female lions.
A dedication ceremony at the War Memorial Park roundabout near the Little Rock Zoo will introduce the public to three new sculptures and reroute traffic for two hours this evening.
The new cast aluminum sculptures by artist Darrell Davis portray three lions, one male and two female, sitting atop rocks.
The rocks were installed in the roundabout last month. They were donated by Granite Mountain Quarries.
As a result of the ceremony, Zoo Drive will be closed to through traffic from 5 to 7 p.m. Southbound lanes on Fair Park Boulevard will remain open.
Northbound traffic on Fair Park Boulevard will be rerouted from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m.
The Interstate 630 exit ramp at Fair Park Boulevard will be closed during that time, and traffic will be rerouted to use University Avenue to head north.
The roundabout is located where Zoo Drive meets Fair Park Boulevard.
For those who attend the ceremony, parking is available in the parking lot across from the entrance to the zoo.
In the event of rain, the ceremony will take place at the Little Rock Zoo instead.
In that case, the street closures will not occur.