The Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail in Hot Springs, AR is a long-term project that first opened to the public in 1996. The trail has continued to expand over the last 20+ years, connecting several neighborhoods in the area and providing an active multi-modal corridor for residents and visitors.
The most recent phase of this project began after the City of Hot Springs acquired a narrow piece of land along Hot Springs Creek, behind a local storage business. A gradient bank behind the storage facility had been created by fill, and the City wanted to save the few trees left behind the building without disturbing the bank. The City knew that they needed to find an aesthetically pleasing boardwalk solution that would cause minimal disturbance to the area.
Working with designer B & F Engineering, the City of Hot Springs looked at life cycle costs and environmental impacts to determine that a concrete boardwalk would best serve their needs, and ultimately selected PermaTrak. To avoid excavation, the team decided to install micropiles for the foundational piers. These small, reinforced piles allowed for minimal disturbance to tree roots, riprap, and the gradient bank.
The design team believes that major factors for the project (minimal disturbance, sustainability, and aesthetics) were addressed with the PermaTrak concrete boardwalk design. An overlook was also designed to add a "wow" factor to the project, providing a beautiful space for residents to enjoy.