The City of La Crosse realized cyclists and pedestrians needed a safe way to cross an active rail yard, as the nearest crossing was two miles away from their preferred travel route. Our team of bridge and highway engineers made client communication and public involvement the highest priorities throughout the design process. The new 1.5-mile, paved trail and 839-foot-long pre-fabricated steel bike and pedestrian bridge links the Northside residential neighborhoods to the Great River State Trail and nearby shopping centers across the rail yard.
Through close collaboration with the city staff, the new and improved Bud Hendrickson Memorial Natural Trail and Pedestrian Bridge became a reality after nearly 15 years in the making. We coordinated with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and other state and federal regulatory agencies, along with the Burlington Northern Railroad, to see that the project complied with requirements and met the needs of all stakeholders. During construction, dedicated access points and haul routes reduced impacts to the local neighborhoods. Residential ownership changes and railroad expansion during the design of this award-winning project added complexity that we met with insightful design changes and careful coordination.
