Projects - Infrastructures
Trails and Paths: Trails

Open Space Trail Bridges

LORIS has provided engineering designs for many pedestrian bridges in open space parks. These bridges can range in type and style from simple steel truss bridges to aesthetic custom timber or stone-pilaster bridges that take on a theme to match other trail structures, such as trailhead signage, restrooms and picnic shelters, identity monuments, and educational centers. These bridges are generally intended to blend in with their natural surroundings, as if they had been there forever, and therefore adding to the user experience of the natural environment.

Settler's Park Bridge
Boulder, CO

LORIS provided the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks with site design and construction documents for the replacement of a bridge adjacent to the Settler's Park trailhead. The project replaced a failing timber bridge with a precast concrete bridge on precast concrete abutments that were specified to limit impacts to the adjacent ditch and to meet an aggressive schedule to replace the bridge prior to the irrigation season. The path grades were also improved to meet current accessibility requirements.

Hall Ranch Pedestrian Bridges
Boulder County, CO

LORIS engineered a prototype pedestrian bridge for Boulder County Parks and Open Space. The concept of the design was that it should be easily adapted to numerous locations throughout Boulder County. Its rustic appearance makes it look like it was built decades ago, helping it fit unobtrusively into its surroundings. The aesthetics are achieved by using environmentally sensitive, brown-tinted preservative timber railing kickers with a curved corbel bracket and black wrought iron washers and connection plates.

Davidson Ditch Bridge
Boulder, CO

LORIS provided bid documents for a new crossing over the Davidson Ditch in Marshall Mesa Open Space. The precast concrete design was chosen to provide a low-maintenance, highly durable structure to serve hikers, bikers, and equestrians. The railings were designed specifically to address equestrian safety concerns.

High Plains Trail Bridge over Coal Creek
Boulder County, CO

LORIS provided bid documents for this new trail crossing over Coal Creek in the Marshal Mesa Southern Grasslands Habitat Conservation Area. A prefabricated steel truss bridge was selected to accommodate the 85-ft. span while also minimizing impacts to wetlands and floodplains.