Challenge
The City of Dubuque, Iowa undertook a large scale channel realignment project in 2015, which called for flood mitigation and urban park development. Design efforts encompassed replacing dilapidated bridges, continuing nearby paths and sidewalks, and developing walkway extensions over vantage points along Upper Bee Branch Creek. The city was looking for two elevated pedestrian walkways that could take pedestrians from an alley to the Kniest Street Basin for sightseeing, as well as a pedestrian bridge over a spillway. Of prime importance to the Strand Associates design team was the walkways’ ease of constructability, and durability that would stand the test of time.
Solution
Strand Associates designed three PermaTrak boardwalks to improve user performance and aesthetic appeal. Two of the structures are elevated pedestrian walkways, and the third is a conventional pedestrian bridge crossing a spillway channel. Eric Veith of Strand Associates notes that the PermaTrak product, “looks great, provides good value, and is performing well.” The team is impressed by its durability and is confident that the precast concrete will have no trouble holding up to the change of seasons and heavy foot traffic in Dubuque. “PermaTrak is a great product,” says Vieth. “The PermaTrak design staff was very easy to work with.”
