Overview
Summit County retained DLZ to design a new 200-foot pedestrian connector from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Visitor Center and Trail Head across the Cuyahoga River. This location is a popular starting point for the park’s sprawling trails, and the need for improved pedestrian safety and access motivated this project. In addition to bridge and trail design, DLZ performed field survey, drilling, and geotechnical engineering.
Process
The pedestrian bridge is located just 200 feet south of the Boston Mills Road Bridge. As part of the field survey, DLZ collected river cross section upstream and downstream, including at the roadway bridge. This data was used to perform a hydraulic analysis on the river in order to determine which bridge configurations have no effect on the river. DLZ performed two foundation borings to complete the subsurface investigation report. The preliminary engineering involved the evaluation of various bridge alternatives. To optimize costs and expedite the permitting process, DLZ kept all construction work above the ordinary high-water mark and out of the water.
The bridge is founded on drilled shaft foundations. The site was accessed on the western side of the river via a temporary access road through the National Park. Details of the access road were included in the plans and included in the environmental permitting.
