Ehrhart Griffin & Associates (EGA), with their design team, was retained to provide land surveying, master planning, and civil design services for the construction of approximately 1.7 miles of recreational trail. The single-phase project consists of two distinct sections. The first section starts at the Douglas County west Community School Campus and ends at the Twin Rivers YMCA. The second section extends from the school campus south along N. 270th Street to the Mallard Landing residential development.

The trail design included several unique challenges which were overcome with much deliberation on the design and consideration of multiple options. To complete the first section, it was necessary to cross a stretch of Union Pacific Railroad track and old Highway 275 (W. Reichmuth Road). It was determined the best way to cross it was with a two-span pedestrian bridge. Due to the number of railroad tracks and the potential for expansion, the bridge design ultimately consisted of a 138’ span and another span that exceeds 280’. With the required height of the bridge, it was also necessary to import a significant amount of soil to create the bridge abutments. The project also included some minor wetland impacts that required mitigation.

The project impacted a number of properties and included numerous stakeholders. Throughout the design process, the design team held group meetings and individual meetings with the stakeholders to keep them informed and incorporate their feedback on the trail alignment and design.

Land surveying services consisted of establishing a baseline control and full topographic surveys as well as preparing right-of-way plans for the right-of-way and easement acquisitions.

The project was recently completed in the summer of 2022.