Boulder, CO
We provided Boulder Open Space three conceptual trail system alternatives. Each 3 to 5 mile configuration reached ridge-top vistas, tucked the trail into natural terrain features, and minimized overlap of the trail corridor with habitat suitability GIS modeling. The selected alternative utilizes terraced steps, armoring and rock structures to provides a direct, but steep, descent route consistent with prevailing social use patterns.
Tasks included layout and GPS potential trail corridors, estimate costs, and create graphics/stats for public process. After addressing 15+ miles of alternatives have been thanked for our professionalism in a highly political arena and for creating solutions in a challenging project.
We are now fine-tuning the alignment, revising construction details, installing field control and helping the City prepare a construction RFP. Documents include GIS data, typical drawings, written specification, pay-item estimate, and installed field control (station stakes, pin flags, whiskers). Permissible construction techniques allow hand-built, non-regulated explosives, and mechanized via sub-compact equipment (mini-excavator / walk-behind / Sweco, ect). Existing unsustainable routes will be reclaimed by a combination of scarification, relocating excess excavated soil, and revegitation.
