Crossing beneath Kipling Parkway, this pedestrian and bicycle underpass provides a safe connection as part of the Van Bibber Creek Trail System. In leading the underpass design, Otak provided full construction drawings, bidding documents, cost estimates, and other necessary materials.
A Structure Designed to Provide Safe Crossing for a Trail System
At 8.5-feet-high and 14-feet-wide, the Kipling Parkway Underpass also adds 4,000 linear feet of 10-foot-wide concrete pathway in connecting the Van Bibber Creek Trail. Aesthetic elements for the structure including the lighting and retaining walls were designed to be commensurate with the character of the surrounding area. The project required utilities to be relocated, including a 12-inch water line and irrigation ditch, as well as right-of-way acquisition from a nearby subdivision as well as the Arvada Cemetery. All necessary materials were prepared in accordance with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Roadway and Bridge Design Manuals and Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, the latest edition of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual, and the City of Arvada Engineering Code of Standards and Specifications.
Promoting active transportation and pedestrian safety, the Hover Street Pedestrian Underpass is located just south of the street’s intersection with SH119. With Otak leading structural engineering, the design included relocating a Regional Transportation District (RTD) bus pad directly on top of the underpass to further enhance safety while improving multimodal access.
A Structure to Enhance Pedestrian Safety and Multimodal Access
In designing the overpass, a “jug handle” link trail was used to divert the flow of traffic to allow seamless, safer turns that don’t require crossing oncoming traffic. Named for its distinct shape, this design also allowed for the creation of a plaza area with bike lockers and other site amenities. The project’s emphasis on multimodal access is highlighted by a bus pad located on top of the overpass. Key aesthetic features include multiple concrete formliners and pilaster columns with masonry veneers found on the underpass and headwalls. A detention facility was also added to manage drainage from SH 119 and adjacent business property. Accounting for a complex intersection geometry and high traffic volumes, the project was constructed using a three-phase maintenance of traffic approach.
Sustainability is now a top priority for firms across the globe. According to a recent Mckinsey poll, a larger share of executives now say that sustainability programs make a positive contribution to their companies’ value both in the short and long term.
Greater still, over a third of global consumers are now willing to pay more for sustainability-integrated services and products. Now more than ever, individuals are both looking for more environmentally sensitive alternatives and looking to firms to champion resilient initiatives.
“When you’re going and inspecting pedestrian bridges, being a pedestrian just feels right.”
David Graff – Otak Bridge Engineer
Given the information, the time has never been better for people and firms to truly live their sustainable values—not only to internal stakeholders but also to external partners and communities.
Otak is excited to highlight a Bridge Project Engineer in Colorado who is truly living those values especially on the jobsite.
We would like to introduce you to David Graff, who biked 22.7 miles over three days through the City of Aurora for a single project—both to reduce his carbon footprint and get a leg up on his competitors in the art of pedestrian bridge inspection.
A Sustainable Approach to Pedestrian Bridge Inspection
Who is David?
David Graff, P.E. is a leading voice in our firm for bridge engineering in the Rocky Mountain West. Serving as project manager for bridge inspections and replacements throughout the region, his career is one of excellence at the highest standard. As a member of our structural engineering practice, David is also a certified bridge inspector for the National Highway Institute (NHI).
He also happens to be one of Otak’s best cyclists, and calls the back roads and pedestrian areas of Colorado his backyard. A bike commuter and environmentalist through and through, David had long awaited a chance to merge his love of cycling and the love of his work—what he calls “Two of my favorite things.” It took one RFP dropping from the City of Aurora to give David that chance.
What’s the Project?
The City of Aurora PROS 2022 Bridge Inspections project is one uniquely fit for David and his talents. In addition to being a certified NHI bridge inspector, David has also been running inspections on pedestrian bridges for years in other cities like Vail and Aspen—a niche market in the Colorado region. He specializes in full scale inspection, or the art of inspecting every bridge within a given municipality for deficiencies, structural soundness, and overall ability to serve the community where the bridge lies.
The problem in Aurora? A notable pedestrian bridge suffering from erosion and a washed away backfill underneath the approach lapse. David and his team were able to win an initial contract for the bridge in question, and later sold the city on inspections and service for every pedestrian bridge in Aurora.
Thanks to perseverance and long-standing relationships in Colorado, David was tapped to lead this charge behind this renewed effort to fortify and inspect pedestrian bridges across the community.
Mapping David’s Bridge Inspection Bike Path
Why Bike to Each Site?
In David’s own words, “When you’re going and inspecting pedestrian bridges, being a pedestrian just feels right.” To truly experience the bridges in their full capacity, David felt that he needed to “be a pedestrian” to do his best work. Besides making the work more enjoyable, he also found that riding his bike would be more efficient from both a time and sustainability standpoint.
Parking is limited in many of these spaces where pedestrian bridges exist, like the ones on the Highline Canal Trail and Sand Creek Park. Armed with just a bike, David was able to saddle right up to each bridge and perform a full inspection as an active user. Saving time walking between a car and the site, while also saving emissions by biking seemed immediately like a no brainer.
What Did David Find?
There are three categories of deficiencies that every bridge inspector looks out for on a trip to a site:
Maintenance – Basic upkeep. Things like trimming trees that are growing underneath bridge, clean debris.
Preventative – Things that aren’t problems yet, but if not addressed could become a problem.
Repair – Deficiencies that could threaten structural integrity or safety of bridge. Should be address before next inspection or immediately.
While he’s only a third of the way through the full-scale inspection cycle, those he’s visited look to be in good shape out of the 26 he’s biked to this year.
More Than Just Bridge Inspectors
Of course, pedestrian bridges differ from vehicular bridges.
Vehicular bridges tend to be bigger and have traffic moving faster making deficiencies more difficult to notice in passing and potentially more hazardous. And when it comes to pedestrian bridges, there also isn’t a governing body that ensures certain standards are met, which can lead to the maintenance of pedestrian bridges being more likely to fall by the wayside. Still, in either case, it’s ultimately the same expertise and principles come into play for inspection.
David stresses here that himself and his team are not just bridge inspectors—they’re bridge engineers, meaning that they’re capable of giving reasons why deficiencies arise and structural fixes for problems, which ultimately saves money for clients as issues are caught early on.
Interested in learning more about a transportation approach that’s about more than just mobility? Take a closer look at our work that’s designed to create greater access in communities to healthy lifestyles and resilient economies.
As our industry becomes more dynamic and multi-faceted, the need has never been greater for those who shape the built environment to have unique perspectives and approaches to their work. It’s imperative for firms to not only recruit talent from a variety of backgrounds, but also to honor those who are recognized for their visionary qualities in the field.
This is the case for Millicent Williams, our Regional Director for our Oregon and Southwest Washington Public Sector practice, who we are proud to say has been recognized as a DJC Oregon’s Woman of Vision award for 2022.
The Meaning Behind the Honor
The accolade spurns multiple thoughts and feelings for Millicent, both tangible and intangible. What stuck out to her from the outset was the nature of the win—being recognized for inspiring others in the field. She says this comes with a sense of extreme legitimacy, “The things I say and do give women, especially women of color the belief they can work comfortably in and offer leadership in a largely male-dominated industry.”
There are real-world applications for this award as well. To her, it gives a relatable face to the work we do and reinforces that construction is not a man’s job, that infrastructure work in particular is not less sophisticated, and that a non-traditional background isn’t a deterrent to leadership in the field. In fact, she credits her traditional business education as her greatest asset, and knows she can make an impact with her perspective and existing knowledge about “the business of being in business.”
Learning the Ropes
When asked about formative ideas that helped guide her toward this achievement, she pointed directly to a textbook that she used while an undergrad at Florida A&M University’s School of Business and Industry called The Ropes to Skip and The Ropes to Know: a definitive work detailing what Millicent now calls her specialty—organizational systems and development. It instilled in her early on that successful enterprise is about people and navigating both the social and cultural aspects that go into getting any job done. It inspired her to get out of her own way, embrace assertiveness, work hard every day, be teachable, and uplift others in order to achieve desired outcomes. This is especially true for transportation and infrastructure, which she saw as a way to use her skills to influence the built environment in ways she previously thought had been impossible.
Things started to click as she got further and went higher in her career, “When I began to see cities function well as a result of my efforts, I got to then see the direct impact I could have on the industry. You can, in fact, do something about it if you see something that isn’t right, and people don’t always think they have that power.”
Contending with Perceptions and Realities
To Millicent, it’s clear as day that this industry is male-dominated, and even clearer that few people of color are able to achieve the same things with the resources they have access to. However, she credits her tenacious work-ethic and awareness of her transferable skills for elevating her to where she is today, “I was the type of person that shows up every day, that puts their head down and works, and most importantly generate quality results because of that work. That gave me access to opportunities.”
“People want to see themselves in the people they look up to, and this platform creates energy that allows people in the industry to see that”
Millicent Williams
In practice, she also rejects the idea that transportation and infrastructure is as simple as a bus arriving on time. She explains, “The finance and engineering departments for transit agencies are just as crucial to a bus being on schedule as the driver. I’m not often out in the field on projects, but my understanding of the whole system and how each piece works in tandem is what’s important.”
She uses this in-depth understanding to inspire others, to get people to fully see where they are and how they’re contributing, or even when they’re not contributing by being short-sighted, “That in and of itself can be transformative, and can change the way that people see not just infrastructure but government operations in general.”
Doing Generational Work
Millicent reflects that she has worked in the public sector for the majority of her career and that her roles were often assigned because of how she “showed up,” but notes that true passion for her work formed when she got into infrastructure, which led her to leadership roles within organizations like the Portland Bureau of Transportation. She explains, “I saw an opportunity to make impactful decisions in people’s lives and that infrastructure is generational work, meaning my actions could have an impact 100 years later.”
A prime example of this is her current work with the states of both Oregon and Washington on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, the bridge in question being the connection between the two via the I-5 highway.
As the lead facilitator for the most high-profile stakeholders on the project, her job of making sure everyone is on the same page is incredibly gratifying for two reasons. For one, she’s playing a direct role in the upgrade of a hundred-year-old bridge where everything needs to be taken into consideration, both in logistics and in politics. She gets to employ her skill in navigating those two spaces from explaining the technical aspects like budget, to the political intersections between the states and their goals. Second, it’s an opportunity to exude leadership under pressure, and to further her goal of creating generational wealth through infrastructure, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime project that incorporates different disciplines and backgrounds of all types. I get to bring the totality of my skills to bear in delivering the results everyone wants, everyone needs out of the project.”
The Ceremony and the Future
Millicent is greatly looking forward to the award ceremony taking place on October 26th in Portland, where she sees incredible value. To her, it’s a tremendous networking opportunity where new partnerships can be forged, and new thought leaders can emerge. The opportunity to recognize women from numerous other firms who will also be acknowledged will help “open eyes and open doors” to future generations, especially those of color, that they too can make an impact with a nontraditional background that can in fact be a strength and a point of pride. The “vision” aspect of this award is especially important here because it allows people of influence, power, and ability to help everyone see value, “The night itself serves the whole industry because it’s a chance not only to make space, but create a meaningful space where all are respected for their work.”
When asked why she thinks it’s important to highlight and recognize women’s stories, she pointed again to giving people the ability to see, “People want to see themselves in the people they look up to, and this platform creates energy that allows people in the industry to see that contributions can be made by those who don’t look like them in terms of gender.”
She wants to see more women in leadership and empower other women to see that success in this industry is possible. Without that, “It’s hard to see for yourself if you don’t see yourself.”
A Closing Message
Millicent puts two words to other women who are looking to break into the Transportation and Infrastructure industry—“Why not? Just because something isn’t in your background doesn’t mean it can’t be in your foreground, so even if you feel like you don’t tick all the boxes, apply yourself anyway—because why not?”
Otak is lucky to have a visionary like Millicent on our team. We look forward to reporting on more of her achievements, and extend our warmest congratulations to her and the other women being honored with this award. You can view the rest of the honorees courtesy of the DJC Oregon here.
Interstate 5 provides a critical connection between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. The bridge that crosses the Columbia River is a vital link for the pacific northwest, supporting the region’s jobs, communities, trade routes as well as the broader international economy.
Facilitating Development of a Vital Pacific Northwest Transportation Connection
Originally constructed in 1915, the aging structure is being replaced to deliver a multi-modal, seismically-resilient foundation of mobility for the region’s future. The bridge addresses safety and congestion issues while also displacing carbon and improving equity through job accessibility via improved transit. With implications that include the site’s scenic views, natural systems and a rich history within our national heritage, Otak is working to facilitate government relations, public affairs and communication to completion.
What began as an underutilized quasi-industrial site in Portland’s Pearl District neighborhood was transformed into a nationally-recognized example of successful urban redevelopment. The Yards at Union Station would mark the district’s first housing project, and it set the tone for subsequent redevelopment in the area. An existing development of four and five-story buildings would grow to include turning 7.5 acres of decommissioned rail yards into a vibrant addition to the newly minted residential community with an emphasis on affordable housing, altogether offering a total of 724 rental and for-sale units for tenants of varying income ranges.
Brownfield Site Development to Revitalize Portland’s Historic Union Station Railyards
Constructed in 1896, Portland Union Station is an established landmark for the city that’s easily recognizable for both it’s Romanesque and Queen Anne architecture as well as its 150-foot clock tower. Sitting adjacent to the Yards at Union Station project site, terra cotta and molded brick of the Union Station building – which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 – provides the basis for a cohesive motif in the neighborhood. Use of the rail yards contaminated the soil meaning The Yards at Union Station would be developed on a brownfield site. The opportunity to clean up the site for redevelopment allows for the space to be safely reinvested in the community. This sustainable design also includes stormwater planters, energy-efficient lighting and native plantings among other features. With a priority on equity the city of Portland emphasizes that its investment make sure projects address the community’s greatest unmet community needs not only in housing but in economic equity. With over 200 jobs created, this project also exceeds the City’s MWESB goals for diversity in contracting on its way to becoming a viable residential neighborhood in the heart of the city.
As we prepare to observe Black History Month here in the United States, we are reminded of the significant ways that Black Americans have contributed to and improved our communities through innovation. As we consider the Architecture and Engineering industry, one cannot separate the transformative nature of the work that we perform on a daily basis from the people who made so much of what we do possible. And even when we aren’t working, we see, use and enjoy inventions that Black Americans developed to improve our way of life.
Are you considering a roundabout as an engineering solution to improve traffic flow and relieve congestion? You can thank Benjamin Banneker, a watchmaker, almanac author and surveyor, who led the redesign of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) incorporating a series of traffic circles to address the misalignment of roads left by a previous roadway designer. Are you designing a signalized intersection? Look to the genius of Garrett A. Morgan who developed the three-light traffic signal. Do the streets that you designed need to be maintained? Charles Brooks has just what you need – a motorized street sweeper.
Do you enjoy the variation in color that you are able to use when drafting engineering designs? You can thank Mark Dean for co-inventing the IBM PC monitor. And speaking of computers, something that none of us can do without, the gigahertz chip – a revolutionary piece of technology that is able to do a billion calculations per second and is in every modern computer, was also invented by Mark Dean.
Designing a light rail corridor? Concerned about fuel efficiency and climate friendly solutions? Well, you can look to Granville T. Woods who invented the ‘troller,” a grooved metal wheel that allowed street cars (later known as “trolleys”) to collect electric power from overhead wires. And speaking of trains (or better stated, rail) don’t forget about the automatic car coupler (invented by Andrew Jackson Beard) because the railcars need to connect with ease.
Need to make a Teams or Zoom call? Make sure that your microphone (developed by James West) isn’t on mute! It’s a good thing that we have Marian Croak’s voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP) to keep us connected. And don’t forget to add a GIF before you end the meeting…thanks for the laughs, Lisa Gelobter. Taking a ride to the 8th floor on the elevator? The automatic elevator doors were invented by Alexander Miles over 100 years ago with design elements that have stood the test of time.
Are you going to take a client out for an afternoon of golf? Well, don’t forget the golf tees created by Dr. George Grant. And, if you get lost on your way to the course, pull up your GPS (invented by Gladys West) and make a quick call on your cellular phone (invented by Henry Sampson) to let your foursome know that you’ll be late. Thank goodness there’s caller ID on your touch-tone telephone (both invented by Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson) allowing you to find their contact information and dial with ease.
Going to the company picnic? Don’t forget your Super Soakers (Lonnie Johnson). Going on vacation and need to take a long-distance flight (not the first flight…the first long-distance one)? Charles W. Chappelle can help you fly the friendly skies. Just need to take a short hop to your next destination? Let Paul E. Williams helicopter get you there. And Katherine Johnson, the NASA research mathematician who made the 1969 moon landing possible, can get you to the moon and back.
While I’ve listed several inventors of significance, there are hundreds of individuals with thousands of inventions, that I haven’t. If you’re interested in learning more, visit your local library or check out sites like www.ASALH.org (Association for the Study of African American Life and History), Daily Hive – Inventions by Black People, or this list of inventors and scientists.
…and that, folks, is the ‘Real McCoy’ (a phrase suggesting authenticity that is attributed to Elijah McCoy who received nearly 60 patents related to lubrication systems, who developed designs for modern ironing boards, the lawn sprinkler and other machines)!
From a utilitarian standpoint, bridges serve a singular purpose: they enable the crossing of obstacles via the most direct route possible. For Bridge Project Engineer, David Graff, P.E., this strict interpretation of bridges held true, especially when viewed through the lens of accommodating vehicular traffic. That all changed when he joined Otak’s Structures Group in Colorado and began working on pedestrian bridges.
David Graff, Bridge Projects Engineer, Colorado
In 2017, David had recently completed the engineering graduate program at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU), where he had intentionally pivoted away from his previous structures work in buildings and cell towers, to focus on bridges. He says that he found “vehicular bridges to be very interesting and cool projects to work on.” During this same time, Otak expanded its operations in Colorado and merged with Loris and Associates, where David was working. He was familiar with Otak, having originated from Portland, and he saw the merger as an opportunity to be a part of a collaborative environment and work with professionals from other disciplines.
David credits Otak Project Engineer and Structures Group Manager, Dan Beltzer, P.E., with introducing him to pedestrian bridges. He says, “the thought of working on pedestrian bridges had never really entered my mind.” Dan shared some of the projects they were working on at the time, which included a number of pedestrian bridges. “He showed me the very first iterations of the 23rd Street bridge on CU’s campus, and there was no looking back. I thought, ‘now this is the project I want to work on’.”
As David explains, “the vehicular bridges that Otak works on tend to be very interesting in and of themselves, but with pedestrian bridges, the location of the project often adds another dynamic and an opportunity to really interact with the landscape.” One aspect he enjoys is how pedestrian bridges tend to be nature-oriented, providing the users with an opportunity to interact with the surrounding environment in a way that would not be possible without the structure in place. He also appreciates how, as an engineer, “you have a lot more flexibility with pedestrian bridges of what you can do in terms of the materials, shapes, and layouts. You essentially have a blank slate of how the structure is going to look, and I find that to be super interesting and super exciting.”
David was integral to the design and engineering of the 23rd Street and 19th Street pedestrian bridges for the University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, CO. Both projects presented a unique set of challenges in terms of historic and natural preservation, as well as steep rocky terrain. The primary purpose of the two bridges was to connect the campus with other parts of the community, but the project location over a creek and riparian habitat also provided an opportunity to connect bridge commuters with nature. David is proud of the work he and the team delivered but jokingly laments how high the bar has been set for future projects. “Those two bridges have been the main projects I’ve worked on at Otak. They were such interesting projects requiring some innovative design, and have had such a positive outcome for the University and the community. This is the standard I find myself comparing other projects to; it just doesn’t get much cooler than that,” he says.
US 6 Pedestrian Bridge – Preliminary Design. Rendering provided by MIG, Inc.
A current project David is excited to be working on is the Heritage Lid project, which involves parallel vehicular and multi-modal bridges over US Highway 6 (US 6) in Golden, Colorado. US 6 is a major thoroughfare that connects the cities of Boulder and Golden, ultimately meeting I-70 at the base of the mountains. US 6 also bisects Golden, so the new bridges will serve to connect the two sides of the highway. What David finds most interesting about the project is how the bridges are “not just for better vehicular access, but are also meant to provide access for pedestrians and bikers. The focus is on building infrastructure that provides alternatives to getting in a car to drive across a busy intersection, and provides a unique experience along the way.” Although designs are still preliminary, the project will also encompass three pedestrian underpasses, thousands of square feet of wall, and a high level of aesthetics throughout including special features such as landscaping, trees, boulders that kids can climb on, and a shade structure.
David relishes the multidisciplinary team environment at Otak. “Being able to gain the perspective of other professionals and work collaboratively to solve problems and come up with innovative solutions is a real benefit,” he says. “As structural engineers, we’re pretty out-of-the-box thinkers, but working within this ecosystem, and seeing the creative ideas others generate, challenges your own assumptions and constraints about what is possible.”
It isn’t often that our engineering profession delivers infrastructure projects that actually enhance and create salmon habitat by allowing the restoration of natural processes. This was the case for the 750-foot long river-worthy and salmon-friendly Dungeness River Pedestrian Bridge constructed in 2015 for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. Now, six years later, the bridge and habitat restoration have proven to be a real benefit to the river, salmon habitat, and the 1000+ pedestrians and bikers who cross the bridge daily. The increased bridge traffic has also brought new opportunities to the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and plans for a bridge extension and new nature center are underway.
The bridge design allows the Dungeness River to naturally migrate, increasing the potential for fish-bearing habitat.
2015 Flooding Destroys Existing Trestle
In February 2015, during a large flood event, the Dungeness River avulsed laterally approximately 100 feet and destroyed two bents of the existing bridge trestle. The trestle carried the popular Olympic Discovery Trail near Sequim, WA and the closing of the damaged bridge sent ripples through the community. The owner, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, immediately began applying for grant funding to restore the crossing, and after months of effort, secured several grants that were primarily focused on salmon recovery.
Otak was selected and began design work in May 2015. Preliminary meetings with the Tribe and the stakeholder group allowed an expedited alternatives evaluation and selection process, and the final design was completed by the end of July 2015.
New Design Reinforces Stability
The new bridge design included four main spans of 185-feet each, which were prefabricated steel trusses with a concrete deck and a 30-foot wide section in the center to create an overlook area. The bridge piers had a buried pile cap with driven piles down to bedrock and a single concrete column supporting a hammerhead cross beam.
A robust pier design ensures stability after deep scouring below the pile caps, including lateral water pressures on debris buildup. To make the bridge river worthy, the piers had to withstand river avulsions anywhere along the span. Because of the stoutness of the pier’s limited ductility for seismic performance, the superstructure was supported on seismic isolation bearings on top of the pier caps. Restrainers were incorporated into the design to limit maximum seismic displacements.
Dungeness River Pedestrian Bridge extension preliminary design.
Expedited Procurement, Permitting
To expedite procurement, the bridge sections were pre-ordered in July, with the main construction bid in August 2015. The site contractor was then selected and mobilized in September 2015. Environmental permitting was expedited including the US Army Corps of Engineers permit, which was applied for in June and granted three days before mobilization.
Spawning Salmon and Habitat Reformation
During the pre-construction walk-through, a pool in the Dungeness River was almost completely black—filled with more than a thousand spawning salmon. Because of the sensitivity of the river, caution was taken to minimize disturbance near and over the water. After the foundations and piers were complete and the bridge spans erected, a notice came in late November that heavy rains were predicted. The contractor immediately removed the temporary bridge over the river, and three days later a flood hit, which not only washed out the section of the river where the temporary bridge was but shifted the thalweg another 80 feet to the west—completely exposing one of the buried piers. Not to worry though, the bridge foundations were deep and structurally robust enough to withstand the river shifting and meandering. And, by doing so, new habitats are constantly being formed.
The complete removal of the existing trestle and replacement with longer spanning structures allows the Dungeness River to naturally migrate and thereby significantly increases the potential for fish-bearing habitat. As such, the bridge has been deemed salmon-friendly. The trestle replacement not only required a high level of engineering skill, but also engineering that had an appreciation for the natural sciences, with equal focus being on salmon recovery as well as the restoration of the popular trail linkage.
The grand opening of the bridge occurred on December 30, 2015, only eight months from the start of the design. Randy Johnson, Habitat Program Manager, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe expressed the tribe’s appreciation for the new bridge the following November, stating “In contrast to the old bridge, the new Otak-designed bridge is environmentally friendly and river worthy. It has already been tested by several floods and has performed with flying colors. Trail users are enthralled with the bridge.”
Conceptual drawings: Dungeness River Pedestrian Bridge, nature center, and amphitheater.
Fast forward six years to the present and the tribe, working together with Otak, is beginning work on an extension for the bridge, as well as the partial removal of an existing levee to make the flood plan even wider. The bridge extension structure will essentially replace the portion of the levee being removed. In total, this will allow the river to run more freely and will further enhance ongoing river restoration. Designs are being finalized for the new bridge extension, which is on track to be completed in the summer of 2022.
Reconstruction of the nature center on the east side of the river began earlier this year. The new extension will provide improved access for visitors to the new Dungeness River Nature Center from the bridge, as well as access to a trail to a natural amphitheater and a bi-pass for pedestrians and commuters from Port Angeles who traverse the bridge and Olympic Trail daily.
Otak is pleased to welcome Meredith Askham, PM, who joined the transportation team in October. Working previously as a transportation engineering consultant in Denver, CO, Meredith brings years of experience in the field stemming from a career that began with roadway design-build projects in Pueblo, CO.
Meredith describes her early years in design-build as “fast and furious” working on multiple highway construction projects. When she made the switch to more local municipal projects, working for the cities of Idaho Springs, Aurora, Boulder, and Denver, Meredith says “I felt like I was making more of a personal difference to people and the communities. There is a lot of controversy around the giant highway projects. Being able to work on smaller projects that were making a difference on the local level—like bike lane projects throughout the city and county of Denver—was rewarding and fun.”
What drew Meredith to Otak was the size of the firm and the types of projects the multidisciplinary teams were working on. “I had previously been with a huge company. We were getting more and more corporate as the years went by, and I didn’t necessarily like that,” she says. “I liked the size of Otak and the type of projects that the firm was doing was very appealing to me. There were also local municipality jobs and projects in the Louisville, Broomfield, Lafayette, and Boulder area, which is where I live and now work. I was very interested in doing the local jobs.”
Meredith relishes the opportunity to take on transportation work at Otak where she will be able to guide projects from concept through the design phase, providing continuity among the different disciplines as a project manager. With her background in design and construction, Meredith will be able to do some of the design work herself and will be in a great position to effectively communicate with clients. She enjoys this aspect of the work and expresses how “trying to see the client’s needs and wants throughout the project and work those into the design in a cost-effective way is part of the fun. In the end, we are able to deliver a viable plan that the client can move forward into construction with.”
As Meredith further explains, there is a distinct advantage and benefit for municipalities hiring a company like Otak. “The cities don’t necessarily have the time or the resources that we might have to put into a project. Our teams have different backgrounds and have worked in different areas so we can bring ideas from those other areas to their specific project,” she says. Meredith cites bike lane projects as a prime example, stating that “there is a lot of national talk about best practices for these types of projects. We are either already tapped into the research or have already done similar work where we’ve integrated best practices, and we are able to bring that knowledge and experience to a city and see how it could apply to their particular project.”
Meredith and the team will work with a client’s project manager to ensure clear communication and a design process that takes into consideration the specified budget, timelines, and the original intentions of the project. “A lot of times, the city will have gone through a public involvement process where they make commitments to their constituents. The client is relying on us to uphold those commitments in the design,” she states.
If a project has yet to go through the public process, Otak is able to assist with that as well, which is another area that excites Meredith. She says “my favorite part of what I do is being able to get community feedback and implement it in a way that feels personal to those people. We work with the public sector and a lot of times funding is limited. So, being able to deliver a project that people are really happy about, that fits within the budgetary constraints, is rewarding.”
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