To enhance the visitor experience and create future stewards of Yellowstone National Park, this much-needed restoration made improvements to the deteriorating north and south rim trails and overlooks, which wrap the Canyon Rim from Inspiration Point to Artist Point.
Restoring Historic National Park Features and Enhancing Visitor Experiences
The multi-phase project included design of a new trail system and overlooks as well as the rehabilitation of historic elements at Inspiration Point. In enhancing the Canyon Rim Trail system, the design also created new trails, overlooks, and parking improvements at the Brink of the Upper Falls and Uncle Tom’s Point. The design materials and features reflect the rustic design style synonymous with Yellowstone National Park. Design solutions include re-routing trails away from dangerous areas and installing stone and boulder barriers; connecting historic overlooks with new walkways; creating safe, accessible viewing areas with new wayfinding and informational signage; constructing new visitor pavilions and kiosks with peeled logs and stone masonry columns; and using natural materials to integrate the infrastructure into the spires and canyon cliffs.
With several gaps in bicycle and pedestrian facilities and two deficient bridges along Laporte Avenue, this corridor in Northern Colorado was redesigned to suit the multimodal goals of the community. Otak led the bridge and roadway design – including local art, an emphasis on sustainable materials, and a historic bridge railing monument – in completing this project with a construction manager/general contractor (CMGC) delivery method.
For a corridor that had experienced persistent safety issues involving bicyclists and pedestrians, this project is part of the city’s Low Stress Bicycle Network and was recognized by the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO) as a high priority area for improvement. The corridor also provides access to Poudre High School with significant bicycle and pedestrian activity within proximity of the school and residential neighborhoods. Using EcoPact concrete – a low carbon concrete mix from Holcim – the roadway design addresses many locations that lacked sidewalk and curbs, as well as often narrow bike lanes were not well defined. In all, the multimodal project improves vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian safety along the corridor by addressing deficient sidewalks, adding bicycle lanes, and adding a center reversible turn lane, replacing two deficient bridges (east of Taft Hill Road and north of Grandview Cemetery), upgrading the roadway with curb and gutter, and other traffic improvements.
As essential transportation routes for the University of Colorado and commuting for the general public, updates to these corridors were a priority for the City of Boulder. With the goal of improved multimodal transportation, aesthetic enhancements, and a future master plan for land use in mind, the 30th and Colorado Underpass project would provide important safety accessibility and drainage improvements.
Multimodal Enhancements to a Dangerous, Priority Corridor
An emphasis on multimodal transportation (pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicle) at the intersection of 30th and Colorado also included a grade-separated crossing that was functional and minimally impactful to the surrounding area. The design features two pedestrian and bicycle underpasses as well as a protected intersection. Connected infrastructure to nearby sidewalks, bike lanes and multi-use paths and a reconstructed transit stop improve access to these corridors. A large gravity irrigation carrier pipe supports landscape elements while lighting, art and other features were part of the urban design. Otak developed construction documents in making the City of Boulder’s improved transportation goals a reality.
Aimed at adding a safe year-round route for the City of Aspen and its 22 miles of trails, the Maroon Creek Multi-Use Trail creates a clearly-defined connection through a heavily used and tightly constrained roadway. Extending to the Aspen Highlands Trail, Otak provided planning, conceptual design, and final construction documents for this path to complete a much needed connection between the city, Aspen Recreation Center, Aspen Highlands Ski Area, and iconic Maroon Bells Scenic Area.
Providing a Safe and Clear, Year-Round Connection for a Heavily Used Corridor
An amenity for locals and tourists alike, the world-renowned mountain destination of Aspen features a trail system that enhances active transportation across the area including Snowmass, Woody Creek, Basalt, and the greater Pitkin County. The Maroon Creek Multi-Use Trail connects the SH 82 roundabout with the Aspen Recreation Center and its busy transit station, where a previously poorly defined mixture of pathways created potential conflicts between vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. With updates providing the ability to clear snow, the path is now available for use in all seasons. Careful consideration of impacts to adjacent properties included increased separation from the road as well as from the Aspen High and Aspen Middle School pathways, while the design also integrates with well-established Nordic trails in the area. Intersection safety improvement measures, drainage upgrades, realignment of an existing pedestrian bridge approach, and transit stop enhancements were also among the features of this multimodal project.
As part of significant development to the surrounding area of Riverdale Regional Park, the Adams County Veteran’s Memorial adds a scaled model of the USS Colorado, a vessel that served from 1923 to 1947 and sustained significant damage during World War II. The development aims to not only provide a park for the community to enjoy but also a place to honor living military members and those who have perished.
A Unique Structure to Serve the Community
With a design that extends into Mann-Nyholt Lake, the veteran’s memorial recreates detailed features of the USS Colorado including everything from the battleship bow to the turrets, cables and smokestacks. An interpretive wall and military panels honor the 43 service members who died – along with 198 injured – when the vessel itself suffered hull damage in the Pacific Ocean. Accessibility is a critical factor in the design to accommodate all abilities and provide easy access to all park amenities. Development to surrounding Riverdale Regional Park include a new roundabout and parking lots that enhance an existing trail all to improve public access. Given its position on the waterfront, no-rise analysis and floodplain development permitting also supported the design process. Multiple Otak teams led the design and supporting services necessary to make this memorial a reality.
As part the 2013 flood recovery efforts within the St. Vrain Creek watershed, the multi-phase restoration project re-establishes floodplain connectivity, enhances the health of local ecology, and adds resilience to the area’s communities from future flooding. With funding from a disaster relief planning grant, those efforts include the reconfiguration of a reach where creative solutions were necessary to meet numerous objectives and stakeholder needs.
“Threading the Needle” through Constrains to Reconfigure a Reach that Provides A Reliable, Local Water Source and Protects Habitat
Understanding that this would be a complex field-fitting project, the assembled project team was specifically built with an emphasis on flexibility, willingness to compromise, and an ability to brainstorm solutions. An alternatives analysis evaluating various bypass structure design and channel alignments was developed to address a variety of project constraints, including the minimization of water surface rises to avoid a conditional letter of map revision (CLOMR), protecting the existing Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse habitat, and avoiding disturbance to ditches’ ability to divert legally decreed water rights. The final design increases floodplain connectivity while adding low-profile features that complement the natural function and variability of the river, restoring native riparian and aquatic habitat in the process. The resulting passage of native fish and sediment, reduction of flood energy, and improved water quality benefit local communities and ecology alike. Otak coordinated closely with Boulder County Parks & Open Space, along with other stakeholders including ditch representatives, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife, and Department of Water Resources in establishing the final design and overseeing construction activities. The partnership with Boulder County continues with monitoring and adaptive management support.
To extend the life of a campus landmark, the University of Colorado, Boulder sought to identify deficiencies with the Varsity Pond Bridge and make improvements that ensure its integrity for future generations. After leading a structural inspection and assessment, Otak proposed different levels of rehabilitation and ultimately carried out the option designed to prolong the life of the structure as long as possible.
A Pedestrian Structure Rehabilitation to Preserve a Historic Public Asset
Dating back to the late 19th century, the original Varsity Pond Bridge connected the President’s House (now the Koenig Alumni Center) with the oldest part of the Boulder campus. After being updated from a steel structure to a concrete arch with flagstone veneer that matches the campus aesthetic in 1935, the 79-foot, two-span arch bridge has since been a main throughfare for students and popular location for wedding and graduation photos. Improved drainage of the bridge deck would address a significant source of concrete degradation that over time took its toll from rain and melting snow infiltrating the structure. The rehabilitation also included concrete repair on the underside of the arches, masonry veneer stone repair, masonry repointing and the replacement of the bridge deck flagstones. A full excavation of the bridge would allow the tops of the arches to be inspected for any additional issues. An adjacent dam featuring similar masonry to the bridge forms Varsity Pond itself, which collects drainage that is reused for irrigation. That structure would undergo the same rehabilitation process, preserving this historic area for years to come.
With the goal of making modern residential housing more beautiful, sustainable, and attainable, Quantum Assembly aimed to pair the efficiency of their prefab process with designs to match.
An Attractive, Efficient, and Permittable Design Approach to Modular Home Construction
In offering modular home construction to a wide range of clients, established design standards would be needed to deliver projects at scale. Alignment between the prefabricated manufacturing of units and flexible design configurations emphasizes efficiency in both building materials and installation. The architectural, structural, and visual design for Quantum’s modular homes also account for state-level permitting, leaving only site permits needed for projects.
Located along a steep slope between U.S. Highway 6 and the Eagle River, the Eagle Valley Trail provides a multi-use path connecting the communities of Edwards and Walcott, Colorado. The project required extensive collaboration with regional agencies to address the corridor’s challenging topography. In leading the design, Otak also provided a feasibility study and multiple alignments for consideration, including a creative approach that altered the highway to reduce the need for structures on the trail.
A Multi-Use Design and Creative Structural Approach to Fit a Challenging Mountain Corridor
The final design for Eagle Valley Trail met a number of distinct challenges – including maintaining constructability while reaching a specific width – presented by steep mountainous topography and in limiting impact to the adjacent Eagle River. This was successfully achieved in part by utilizing a cantilever concrete trail, with counterbalanced structural slab, supported on an existing concrete wall. The trail’s original design included a new asphalt multi-use path, a pre-fabricated single-span steel bridge, and structural retaining walls along the banks of the Eagle River. After five fundamental section types were developed and discussed, a two-phase approach to this project allowed the team to collaborate with CDOT and ECO Trails to ultimately approve an alteration of the lane configuration of U.S. Highway 6, reducing the need for retaining walls and a bridge. Hydraulic, environmental, and wildlife studies verified the validity of the recommendation prior to final design.
Completing a 10-mile loop, Meadowlark Trail connects multiple trails in the Boulder County Open Space. The 14,000 linear feet of sustainable, soft-surface trail is part of an overall design that meets ADA requirements, creating a public asset that’s broadly accessible to members of the surrounding communities.
Designing a Sustainable and Accessible Trail Network Connection
Existing on the former route of the Morgul-Bismarck Loop of the Coors International Bicycle Classic from the 1980s, the development of Meadowlark Trail connects Boulder County trails with the town of Superior, Colorado. This new link includes the county’s popular Marshall-Mesa trails, Rock Creek, and Coal Creek trail systems. The use of recycled road materials adds a sustainable element to the eight-foot-wide trail. With a portion of the trail spanning challenging terrain, steep side slopes presented a major design consideration for the soft surface trail. Otak led the design in improving this open space park which also included a bridge crossing and the involvement of community stakeholders.
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