Lake Shawnee Park

Technical Description:

• Width: 10 ft
• Span: 338 ft (4 spans)
• Style: Connector^®
• Finish: Weathering Steel
• Decking: TREX^® Decking

Lake Shawnee Park is located within the city limits of Topeka. The popular park includes a marina on a 410- acre lake, golf course and many other facilities. The county wanted to extend a trail system around the lake, but to complete the circuit, they had to bridge Lake Shawnee. General contractors for the project, Schmidtlein Excavating, Inc., contacted Contech for a prefabricated bridge solution.

“The project was not without its challenges,” says James McNaul of Schmidtlein Excavating, Inc. “The lake was originally a quarry and its depth won’t allow us to use a construction barge, so the project involved building a temporary causeway across the lake using native rock material.” The construction team used the causeway to build the piers. Additional 20’ x 20’ pads were added at each pier so the crane could back out onto the causeway. The trucks with the bridges could then be moved onto the causeway where the crane lifted the prefabricated sections into position.

The new weathering steel Continental^® Connector^® style pedestrian bridge is comprised of four spans totaling 336 feet. The county specified TREX^® decking for the project. Shawnee County takes pride in its park system and this is the first phase of a two-phase trail project at this park. Residents were so enthusiastic about the new paved trail that they were using it almost immediately.

Technical Description:

• Width: 10 ft
• Span: 338 ft (4 spans)
• Style: Connector^®
• Finish: Weathering Steel
• Decking: TREX^® Decking