PermaTrak Project Profiles: Concrete Boardwalks and Pedestrian Bridges

Since its introduction to the US and Canada in 2010, landscape architects and engineers have designed commercial projects using the PermaTrak concrete boardwalk system for various types of applications: fishing piers, urban walkways over sensitive tree roots, pedestrian bridges, elevated greenways, wetland boardwalks and more. The project profiles below share specific boardwalk design and construction challenges. Enjoy!

Halls Bayou Trail

Halls Bayou in Houston, TX is a densely wooded enhanced flood drainage canal collecting storm water that eventually joins up with Greens Bayou.

Tags: Wetlands & Floodplain, Texas

SIU Carbondale Campus Lake Pedestrian Bridges 

Campus Lake at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, (SIU) a 43-acre lake set amongst woodlands, is a popular route for students to get to class.

Tags: Illinois, Stream Crossings & Pedestrian Bridges

Upper Bee Branch Creek Channel, Streets, and Utilities

The City of Dubuque, Iowa undertook a large scale channel realignment project in 2015, which called for flood mitigation and urban park development.

Tags: Iowa, Boardwalks

City of Sarnia Riverfront Boardwalk 

In 2014, a nearly 1,200-foot long timber pedestrian promenade in Ontario’s City of Sarnia was nearing the end of its life.

Tags: Boardwalks, Canada

free-custom-boardwalk-design-drawing

Logan Lake Boardwalk at Adams Park 

The Atlanta community wanted to experience Logan Lake in Adams Park from a different vantage point – with a walking path through the middle of the lake.

Tags: Lakes & Lagoons, Georgia

Quarry Park Pedestrian Bridges

In 1998, a 225-acre property featuring an abandoned granite quarry was donated to the City of Winston-Salem.

Tags: Stream Crossings & Pedestrian Bridges, North Carolina

Clabber Creek Trail Extension

In Fayetteville, AR, the proposed route for a 0.75-mile extension of Clabber Creek Trail brought the trail through some of the city’s flood-prone wetlands.

Tags: Wetlands & Floodplain, Arkansas

Rotary Trail Pedestrian Crossings

As part of its 100-year anniversary, the Birmingham, AL Rotary Club provided $3.5 million dollars to build a trail to connect Railroad Park to the Sloss Furnaces.

Tags: Stream Crossings & Pedestrian Bridges, Alabama

Norwottuck Branch Rail Trail Boardwalk

The Norwottuck Rail Trail is an 11-mile path that links several towns along the former Boston & Maine Railway.

Tags: Boardwalks, Massachusetts

download-boardwalk-information-packet

Camp Creek Greenway Trail

In Lilburn, GA, a nine-year-old wooden boardwalk above a marshy floodplain was facing significant deterioration due to rotting and general wear and tear.

Tags: Wetlands & Floodplain, Georgia

Beech Road Boardwalk

In New Albany, OH, engineers with EP Ferris and Associates were working to widen the shoulder along Beech Road to provide safe access for pedestrians and cyclists.

Tags: Boardwalks, Ohio

Lower McAlpine Creek Greenway 

Located in a floodplain, Lower McAlpine Creek Greenway in Charlotte, N.C. experienced several storm events that caused debris to build up under a truss bridge.

Tags: Wetlands & Floodplain, North Carolina

Upper Tampa Bay Trail

The Upper Tampa Bay Trail is a walking, biking, and cycling trail in Florida. The trail enhancement project required several segments through wetland areas.

Tags: Boardwalks, Florida

White Rock Creek Trail 

The White Rock Creek Trail is a 7.6 mile linear trail heavily used thoroughfare by walkers, runners, and cyclists.

Tags: Boardwalks, Texas

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Boardwalk

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia is one of the most-visited wildlife refuges in the United States.

Tags: Wetlands & Floodplain, Virginia

Van Wezel Performing Arts Center Observation Piers

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, set on Sarasota’s picturesque bay front attracts locals and tourists to enjoy music, dance, theater, and comedy.

Tags: Coastal, Florida

White Oak Greenway Underpass at NC Turnpike

The White Oak Creek Greenway had a section removed due to I-540 construction. The Town of Cary needed to rebuild this segment to maintain trail functionality.

Tags: North Carolina, Boardwalks

download-guide-to-boardwalk-design

Jupiter Inlet Boardwalk

Jupiter Beach Park sits on the Atlantic Ocean in beautiful Palm Beach County, FL, featuring a large jetty where inlet fishing is available 24 hours a day.

Tags: Coastal, Florida

MacDonald Woods Park Pedestrian Bridges

Macdonald Woods Park is prone to post-rain flooding. The Town of Cary wanted to replace the culvert and build up creek embankments to prevent flooding.

Tags: Stream Crossings & Pedestrian Bridges, North Carolina

Pedestrian Bridges at Michael Zone Recreation Center Park

In addition to the recreation park's many amenities, the city wanted to provide solution to protect the surrounding wetland environment.

Tags: Stream Crossings & Pedestrian Bridges, Ohio

Farrell Hall Elevated Walkway at Wake Forest University

At a university, maintaining tradition within the style of new structures is integral to the overall look and feel of the campus.

Tags: North Carolina, Urban

Live Oak Park Boardwalk and Observation Pier

The Villages, an active adult retirement community in central Florida, wanted to construct an observation pier offering a view of the grasslands at Live Oak Park.

Tags: Observation Platforms, Florida

download-concrete-boardwalk-typical-section

Wolf Lake Trail Crossings

For the Wolf Lake South Trail in Indiana, swale crossings were needed in several low-lying areas to prevent water from overtopping the trail and hindering natural drainage.

Tags: Stream Crossings & Pedestrian Bridges, Indiana

Wolf Lake Boardwalk

The Wolf Lake Trail was missing a link between the North Trail and South Trail and needed an elevated crossing to loop over Wolf Lake.

Tags: Indiana, Lakes & Lagoons

Hampton Park

Both the City of Charleston and Charleston County work to create safe walkways for pedestrians while protecting these trees from damage.

Tags: South Carolina, Urban

Osprey Harbor Village

A coastal observation deck would give villa owners water access and an area to relax, but traditional boardwalk materials would deteriorate over time.

Tags: Coastal, Florida