Applewood Creek Trail: Now Open in La Vista, NE
La Vista, NE is home to several miles of trails that run through and between neighborhoods throughout the city. Now, those trails are even more connected via the new Applewood Creek Trail.
The Applewood Creek Trail runs from Cimarron Woods Park south to Giles Road crossing Brentwood Drive along the way. It's just under a mile long and connects to an existing trail at Cimarron Park and a trail south of Giles Road.
Trail Design
The 10-foot-wide trail gives plenty of space for walking, running, and biking. One of the main focuses of the design was to impact the existing trees and vegetation as minimally as possible. When you walk the trail, you'll notice some beautiful, mature walnut trees and the soft sound of Applewood Creek's flowing water below a small pedestrian bridge.
Since this project involves a major arterial roadway (Giles Road), safety was top of mind in the design. We knew pedestrians, families, and children needed a safe way to cross such a busy roadway. We also wanted the design to be ADA-compliant and as aesthetically pleasing as possible.
Pedestrian Tunnel
A unique challenge with this project was to decide whether to go over or under Giles Road. During design, Schemmer studied multiple options to construct an underpass. An option to jack a concrete box underneath Giles Road to minimize disruption to traffic was investigated. However, due to multiple reasons, it was chosen to construct the undercrossing with a traditional open-cut process while maintaining traffic on Giles Road.
The final answer is a 170-foot pedestrian tunnel under Giles Road. This keeps pedestrians away from traffic, maintains the charm of the neighborhood, and can be used by all.
For more information about the project and how families are using it, you can read a local news story from WOWT 6 News: here.
Services provided by Schemmer on this project include:
- Topographic Survey
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Hydraulic Analysis
- Trail Design
- Bridge Design
- Construction Inspection
- Material Testing
We'd like to thank The City of La Vista, NE for their partnership on this project.
SCHEMMER - DESIGN WITH PURPOSE. BUILD WITH CONFIDENCE.
Schemmer is a full-service architecture, engineering, and construction field services consultant providing responsible solutions for complex design and construction-related challenges.
Founded in 1959, we are grounded in our past but remain fully committed to the future. Located in five States and nine offices throughout the Midwest, Schemmer is providing services to clients from coast-to-coast and border-to-border across the United States.
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