As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created designs for improvements to Manchester’s Schram park, including a pedestrian bridge over the Maquoketa River, a parking lot, and a trail connection that links to the existing trail network.
The goal of this project was to revitalize the Schram Park area and provide an easier means of transportation between the park and the city of Manchester. In order to increase the functionality and accessibility of the park itself, the parking lot area–which includes the lot’s surface and layout,adjacent trail, boat ramp, and pond bank–had to be redesigned. The addition of storm sewer systems, a bleacher pad, and a set of limestone steps along the northern pond bank was required to mitigate erosion and ensure the park’s new design is capable of withstanding storm and flood events. These improvements to the infrastructure are meant to refine the park’s image, make it a more complete & more welcoming environment, and promote foot and bike traffic through the area.
To further attract and accommodate park users, the design of a quarter-mile long trail system with a pedestrian bridge over the Maquoketa River was used to connect the existing trail loop around the park’s pond with the bike path that runs parallel to Brewer Street, northeast of the river. As the Maquoketa River is the project’s largest geographical and environmental consideration, a detailed analysis of its hydrological conditions and behaviors was completed to assist in designing all these components for the project.
The final report includes detailed costs estimates and recommended project phases that consider the city’s budgetary constraints and the need to build public support for the project.