WINNIE, Texas — It's a race to the finish for workers to rebuild the Lilton Sonnier Covered Arena at Winnie-Stowell Park in time for this year's rice festival.
The arena collapsed while it was under construction in February 2019.
An engineering firm conducted an investigation and determined a 'come along' failed, causing the collapse according to Chambers County Fire Marshal Ryan Holzaepfel.
It was never a permanent piece of the project, and only used during the construction process, before the roof was up Holzaepfel said.
"It was part of the construction bracing that was holding the steel structure up as they were constructing it," Holzaepfel said.
As a precaution all of the steel used during the collapse and whatever was staged on site at the time, was removed Holzaepfel said. The contractor and insurance company took financial responsibility.
"The entire metal structure was fabricated as new," Holzaepfel said.
He said the goal is to have the project complete by the Texas Rice Festival. They still need to complete the concession stand and put the bleachers in.
"They still have a lot to do, but they're assuring us they can get it done in the allotted time," Holzaepfel said.
Stuart Leger is the president of the Texas Rice Festival this year. He said the county commissioner has assured them the project will more than likely be complete in time.
"The festival will go on regardless, the first week of October, and we have a big line-up this year, everything's geared to go," said Leger.
The livestock show is the only event that may be affected by the arena. Everything else will resume at Winnie-Stowell as planned, either way Leger said.
If the arena project isn't complete, they'll move the livestock show to White's Park in Hankamer.
This is the 50th anniversary of the event Leger said.
Koe Wetzel, Tracy Byrd and Mark Chesnut will all be performing this year.