Craig Hendrix from SEH gave the Plymouth Park Board members some unsettling news during this week’s meeting.
The stage one submittal to INDOT is the preliminary plans for phase II of the Greenway Trail that will allow walkers, runners, bikes and others to travel from Jefferson Street near the Blueberry Festival office across the street into Gill Park across a new pedestrian bridge and into River Park Square.
Because the bridge is planned to be in the floodway the bridge will need an elevated boardwalk system on piers as it ramps up to the bridge. That boardwalk would be nearly 300 feet long.
The hydraulics also raises another issue with the bridge. To raise the bridge out of the 100 year flood level would be additional funding cost not anticipated. Hendrix said they could get approval to have the bridge lower but there would be a possibility of being underwater during a flooding situation.
Another problem brought to the park board was the location of the trail. Because there is a privately owned piece of property moving the trail along the river’s edge isn’t possible. SHE representatives suggested relocating the trail after the city obtains the property.
The biggest issue with Phase II of the Greenway Trail is the estimated cost. The current estimate construction cost is $883,000 but the grant awarded to the park board was $400,000 in state funds. SEH suggested asking INDOT for additional funding for the project.
The park board motioned to allow SEH to proceed with the lower elevation bridge and see how they can reduce the construction costs.
