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COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — A popular playground in Cottonwood Heights is bound to be much safer this summer because of a KSL 5 investigation.
On Tuesday, the city installed new, shaded tubular slides to replace an open version that reached nearly 200 degrees in the hot sun.
Last July, KSL Investigators responded to complaints from parents that the long, dark blue plastic slides at Mountview Park were severely burning children.
The slide surfaces sat exposed to the hot summer sun and once children got on them, they couldn't get off and had to endure a painful ride down — often crying and screaming.
KSL measured surface temperatures over the course of several days last summer and found readings between 180 and 200 degrees.
After the KSL-TV report aired, the city fenced off the playgroundareas as it looked into a solution.
The city tells KSL in addition to the new tubular slides, they're considering installing a larger shade structure over the playgrounds. Total cost will be about $20,000.