Posted
For Immediate Release: Friday, July 09, 2010
Neighbors and Elected Officials Parade Across New Ped and Bike Bridge along Walker RoadUPDATED: 08/09/2010
Washington County’s Department of Land Use and Transportation and the Five Oaks/Triple Creek Neighborhood Association (NAC) invite neighbors and friends to the dedication of the new "Bluegrass Downs" Bike and Pedestrian Bridge over Willow Creek. The celebration will begin at noon on August 4, 2010, on the parking lot of Youngnak Presbyterian Church at 17415 NW Walker Road. A trombone will lead revelers across Walker and to the bridge for the ribbon cutting and “first crossing”. County Commissioners Desari Strader and Dick Schouten and Mayor Denny Doyle will be featured speakers.
The pre-fabricated structure arrived from Florida in late June; construction of the approaches will begin July 12. County road crews had done some shoulder widening a few seasons ago. The installation of the bridge and this safe crossing across Willow Creek means that a total of 4.2 miles of paved wide shoulders, pathways and sidewalks will now be complete along Walker Road for both pedestrians and bicyclists. This project had been selected and pre-designed, and the county was pleased to be able to meet a commitment previously made to this community and include it in this year's construction season.
The new bridge was a cooperative effort between Washington County and members of the Five Oaks/Triple Creek Neighborhood Association, especially its Chairwoman Melissa Nourigat. The total bridge project cost is $75,000, including design and construction. The work is being accomplished by county road crews. Both long- and short-term costs were considered in the selection of this bridge alternative. According to Dave Schamp, Operations and Maintenance Manager, a lot of thought went into this decision. “It’s real easy to just focus on the short-term cheapest option, especially in our current economic environment. But we also took a hard look at environmental impacts, ongoing maintenance costs and the prospect that someday Walker Road will be widened.” The one-piece structure is reusable, has an expected 75+ year life span, needs little or no maintenance, and greatly reduces environmental impacts. And it can be easily and inexpensively moved to another location when Walker Road is eventually improved – which is not expected anytime soon. “Our crews can just pick it up, put it on a trailer and move it to the next location. It’s a great concept that really works well in this type of application.” Overall, this option shortened the construction time, had essentially no impact on the adjacent environment and provides a low lifecycle cost.
View the flyer for this event.
For more information about county roads and bridges, visit the Washington County Roads website at www.wc-roads.com.
Washington County is committed to building and maintaining the best transportation system, ensuring the safety of all roadway users, and operating the county roadway system in a cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner.
Update
Neighbors and Elected Officials Parade Across New Ped and Bike Bridge along Walker RoadAugust 4 celebration marked linking of 4.2 miles of safe pathway
Washington County's Department of Land Use and Transportation and the Five Oaks/Triple Creek Neighborhood Association (NAC) neighbors and friends dedicated the new "Bluegrass Downs" Bike and Pedestrian Bridge over Willow Creek along Walker Road at noon on August 4, 2010. A trombone led revelers to the bridge for the ribbon cutting and "first crossing". County Commissioner Dick Schouten and Mayor Denny Doyle were the featured speakers. See Photos
This safe crossing across Willow Creek means that a total of 4.2 miles of paved wide shoulders, pathways and sidewalks is now complete along Walker Road for both pedestrians and bicyclists. The new bridge was a cooperative effort between Washington County and members of the Five Oaks/Triple Creek Neighborhood Association.
According to Dave Schamp, Operations and Maintenance Manager, a lot of thought went into this decision. "We took a hard look at environmental impacts, ongoing maintenance costs and the prospect that someday Walker Road will be widened." The one-piece structure is reusable in other locations, has an expected a 75+ year life span, needs little or no maintenance, and greatly reduces environmental impacts.
For more information about county roads and bridges go to www.wc-roads.com. Washington County is committed to building and maintaining the best transportation system, ensuring the safety of all roadway users, and operating the county roadway system in a cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner.
Media Contact:
Anne Madden, Sr. Program Educator503.846.4963
[email protected]