Think of the word "trail" and the image of a winding, woodsy path comes to mind, maybe a ravine is spanned by planks or logs. But a group of conservationists in Iowa had another concept for a trail bridge.
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The High Trestle Trail follows the route of a former Milwaukee Road railroad line between Woodward and Ankeny, Iowa. Back in the 1970s, the Milwaukee built a bridge to cross the Des Moines River. The line was slated for abandonment by the successor railroad, the Union Pacific, in 2003.
The Union Pacific removed the steel girders and bridge deck for reuse elsewhere, leaving only the piers in place. That's where the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation stepped in.
The foundation acquired the rail corridor from the Union Pacific in 2005 with the intention of adding it to a planned pair of 100-mile (1.6-kilometer) paved recreation trails that will meet near Des Moines. Using a $1.75 million government grant, the foundation hired an engineers, bridge fabricators and a structural art designer to develop a bridge that the pays homage to aesthetics and the area's history.
The design hearkens back to the time when immigrants were brought to the area to mine coal underground. The bridge's 41 twisting steel "frames" over the bridge represent the support cribs in the mine.
The structure is impressive for a foot bridge. It rises 130 feet high (40 meters) above the river below and is nearly a half mile (770 meters) from end to end. At each end of the bridge are four 42-foot-tall (13-meter) artistic towers. The structure is illuminated at night.
The recreation trail, opened for use in 2011, draws more than 3,000 people per week, according to the Heritage Foundation. Enjoy!
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The Union Pacific removed the steel girders and bridge deck for reuse elsewhere, leaving only the piers in place. That's where the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation stepped in.
The foundation acquired the rail corridor from the Union Pacific in 2005 with the intention of adding it to a planned pair of 100-mile (1.6-kilometer) paved recreation trails that will meet near Des Moines. Using a $1.75 million government grant, the foundation hired an engineers, bridge fabricators and a structural art designer to develop a bridge that the pays homage to aesthetics and the area's history.
The design hearkens back to the time when immigrants were brought to the area to mine coal underground. The bridge's 41 twisting steel "frames" over the bridge represent the support cribs in the mine.
The structure is impressive for a foot bridge. It rises 130 feet high (40 meters) above the river below and is nearly a half mile (770 meters) from end to end. At each end of the bridge are four 42-foot-tall (13-meter) artistic towers. The structure is illuminated at night.
The recreation trail, opened for use in 2011, draws more than 3,000 people per week, according to the Heritage Foundation. Enjoy!
