Concrete Bike Path with Drain 27 Pedestrian Bridge

This project is part of the ongoing commitment of the City of Fargo to provide concrete for shared use paths for the parks system and connecting paths in general. The project is focused on the Drain 27 Pedestrian Bridge plus adjacent paths in southwest Fargo in the Osgood area. The pedestrian bridge connects the existing shared use path along the west side of Drain 27 and the shared use path planned for 52nd Avenue South..

Both prefabricated and cast-in-place superstructure alternatives were explored. Ultimately, the Engineers chose a 135- foot cast-in-place concrete deck supported at mid-depth of a pair of pre-stressed concrete I-beams. The top of the I-beams also serve as safety rails for the bridge. This design presented an interesting challenge in adapting the bridge I-beams to a use in which the top of the flange is not laterally supported by a bridge deck. Another design challenge was provided by the 20-degree skew for the bridge waterway opening. Ornamental railing was provided for both safety and aesthetic appeal. Plus, the exposed concrete was decorated with a light brown surface applied cementitious coating for earthy toned aesthetics and enhanced durability.

The adjacent concrete multi-use path was designed to maintain a minimum radius of 100 feet where possible. Designers determined that a 4” thick pavement would meet the requirements for the light traffic needs. This thickness helped provided economy for the long and difficult truck hauls to remote parts of the project. Joints on the pavement were installed with narrow saw-cuts. This detail eliminates a big complaint from the “rollerblading” users who dislike wide tooled joints.