Alpena Hillman Trail

The Alpena-Hillman Trail, also known as the Paxon Spur, was constructed along an abandoned rail grade in northern Michigan. Although the trail is used primarily by snowmobilers in the winter, hikers and bikers are also permitted on the crushed, packed limestone trail. The scenic, 22 mile long Department of Natural Resources trail features five bridges over stream crossings and links to Alpena Bi-Path, which connects nearly every park in the city.

“Tasked with designing a replacement bridge to improve pedestrian safety, we worked with Contech Engineered Solutions to provide a structure that was not only cost efficient but also offered a short installation time which allowed the trail to reopen faster," explained Amanda Porath, P.E. with OHM, the project's engineer.

The 87' x 14' Connector-style Continental® Pedestrian Truss over the South Branch of Thunder Bay River was designed with H-20 design, a weathering steel finish and a concrete deck. The heavier design load and durable concrete deck were required for maintenance equipment used to maintain active snowmobile routes.

This project was funded by Michigan Department of Transportation’s Alternatives Program (TAP), a competitive grant program that funds projects such as non-motorized pathways, streetscapes and preservation goals promoting public access while improving a community's quality of life. From 2013 to 2017, the first five years of the program, 179 projects were completed statewide, impacting 377 miles of pathways. This project was completed for $2.4 million and included over 10 miles of trail improvement. The Continental truss was a great solution for the site, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the project's owner, and OHM were pleased with the outcome.

"Contech was very knowledgeable and cared about the end result," concluded Porath. "Working on this project with them was a pleasure, and we hope to work with them on many future projects."