Challenge
Great Rivers Greenway is a public agency in the St. Louis area that works to connect communities using greenways. In Webster, MO, the group was working to redirect stormwater to a nearby bioretention basin, and wanted to design a trail to cross over them. The design team at SWT Design wanted to create a fluid, serpentine walking experience for users that crossed the basin without feeling like a bridge. And because the maintenance costs would be managed by the City of Webster Groves, Great Rivers Greenway wanted to find a solution that was durable with a long life cycle.
Solution
After researching several material options, the design team ultimately selected PermaTrak to create a curved precast concrete boardwalk that flowed seamlessly with the surrounding trail design. The boardwalk was also designed to avoid tree roots in the area with minimal earthwork during construction.
The end result was a crossing that is unique with a design that wasn’t disruptive for users, and a maintenance-free precast concrete boardwalk that was durable and cost-efficient in the long-term for the City of Webster Groves. “PermaTrak creates a product that’s not only reliable, low maintenance, and easy to install, but is also aesthetically pleasing,” said designer Chris Moon. “To me, that’s the value of PermaTrak. It meets all of our expectations of a boardwalk, with a longer lifespan. We believe we’ll get our return on investment pretty quickly.”
