Building a Multi-Use Trail Over Rocks and Ravines

Challenge

A four-mile segment of the 26-mile Mississippi River Regional Trail (MRRT) needed to be completed under an aggressive timeline. Adding to the challenge, the trail traveled through a significant amount of rocky terrain, private rights-of-way, and across a number of steep ravines.

Solution

The multidisciplined project team worked together to deliver a continuous 12-foot bituminous trail surface that guides users past four formalized overlooks and a 1,000-foot-long cliff to a bluff overlooking a picturesque valley.

Features

• Two bridge crossings
• Scenic overlooks
• Concrete pads and benches
• Landscaping and ecological restoration
• Interpretive signage
• Multi-use trailhead

Project
Spring Lake Park Reserve Trail

Location
Dakota County, Minn.

Client
Dakota County

Services

• Civil Engineering
• Construction Services
• Environmental Engineers and Scientists
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Natural Resource Scientists
• Planning and Landscape Architecture
• Structural Engineering
• Surveying