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Weirs Beach Boardwalk Rehabilitation

 

A severe flood event washed out 120 ft of the boardwalk, undermined the adjacent scenic railroad track, and caused the boardwalk embankment slope to fail. The original boardwalk was constructed in 1848 as a passenger platform for New England tourists arriving by train to Lake Winnipesaukee.

The City retained DuBois & King to design the repair for the damaged Weirs Beach Boardwalk section and to design upgrades and improvements to the entire 960 ft boardwalk to protect against future surface and high groundwater impacts after soil borings indicated that the entire boardwalk and railroad embankment was unstable.

DuBois & King engineered a design sufficient to handle the live load of the railroad that could be built during winter conditions within funding limits and schedule constraints. The design and construction was completed within 7 months, during winter conditions, and within the $1.13 million budget.

The design addressed the unstable slope, high ground water potential during flooding events, and provided a Cooper E-80 live loading for the railroad with sheet piling retaining walls with deadman anchors. The new underdrain/closed drainage system directs stormwater to a 200 ft treatment swale/retaining wall to create water quality improvements. Design features included new railings, stairways, crosswalks, and lighting. Reduced project cost by salvaging steel from the damaged boardwalk, utilizing recycled composite decking material, and specifying light fixtures that minimize light pollution.

Improved boardwalk is an economic centerpiece providing a safe link between the City beach, City docks, railroad station, restaurants, businesses, and shops.

Warners Corner Sidewalk

 

Design and construction phase services for new sidewalks along portions of roadways intersecting at Warners Corner. Scope of services included survey, right-of-way research, conceptual plans (right-of-way, utilities, and natural resource impacts), preliminary plans, cost estimates, and permitting. Project was funded by a Transportation Enhancement Grant, administered through the VTrans Local Transportation Facilities (LTF) Section, and followed the LTF Guidebook.

New sidewalks extend from intersection as follows: Macrae Road – north side approximately 1,300 ft to Mercier Drive; Prim Road – east side approximately 1,350 ft to Meadow Drive, including a multi-use path on the west side approximately 850-ft to the Visiting Nurse Association; Porters Point Road – north side approximately 450 ft to Bissette Drive, including a multi-use path on the south side approximately 100 ft along both legs of the intersection; and Heineberg Drive – east side approximately 1,025 ft to Bonanza Park.

VTrans Safe Routes to School

 

Selected for consecutive retainer contracts to assist VTrans and schools statewide to implement the Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS). Services provided were developed in accordance with the Federal SRTS Program. The purposes of the SRTS program are to enable and encourage children to walk and bicycle to school; make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age; and facilitate planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that improve safety and reduce or calm traffic in the vicinity of schools. Specific assignments include:

Bicycle and Pedestrian Feasibility Study, Bristol. Feasibility study for several bicycle and pedestrian improvements including bicycle and pedestrian accommodation on Pine Street, traffic and bicycle/pedestrian circulation in and around the Bristol Elementary School on Mountain Street, and evaluation of alternatives for a shared use path along Stony Hill Road/Lovers Lane.

West Pleasant Street Sidewalk Design, Bristol. Evaluation/design of a 425-ft sidewalk along West Pleasant Street within Bristol Village, including two crosswalks.

VT 116 Sidewalk and Streetscape Improvements, Hinesburg. Conceptual through final design of 1,100 ft of sidewalk, on-street parking, and streetscape improvements along the west side of VT 116. The sidewalk will connect the downtown area and neighborhoods to the Hinesburg Elementary School.

Vine Street Signing and Pavement Marking Design, Northfield. Engineering services to evaluate and design signing and pavement markings on Vine Street in the vicinity of the Northfield Schools.

Brush Hill Road Signing and Pavement Marking Design, Williamstown. Evaluation/design for signing and pavement markings on Brush Hill Road in the vicinity of the Williamstown School. The project also included the installation of a radar speed feedback sign.

Technical Assistance to Schools Statewide. Technical assistance to several schools to help determine what infrastructure improvements could best address their needs. D&K met with each school to discuss their needs, ideas, and concepts, and then prepared a letter summarizing recommendations and the associated costs for design and construction of the improvements. This assistance was provided so that each school could apply for an infrastructure grant.

VT Route 14 Sidewalk

 

As a result of an increasing number of pedestrians, lack of pedestrian facilities, and high traffic speeds along VT Route 14, DuBois & King provided design and construction phase services for a 1,740-ft by 5-ft-wide bituminous sidewalk along the west side of VT Route 14, including construction of two new pedestrian bridges and the addition of two crosswalks and a connector sidewalk. The project was funded by a Transportation Enhancement Grant, developed through the VTrans Local Transportation Facilities (LTF) Section, and followed the LTF Guidebook.

Professional services included identifying cultural and natural resource concerns, soliciting input from project stakeholders, preparing Conceptual Plans and a Categorical Exclusion document, permitting, public meetings, preparing Preliminary and Final Plans and Contract Documents, developing a floodplain study and flood rise analysis, utility coordination, and preparing right-of-way plans.

Three Rivers Transportation Pathway

 

Engineering and construction phase services for a new 1.1 mile shared use transportation path connecting Western Avenue with a new trailhead at South Main Street. The path is 10-ft-wide with 2-ft-wide graded shoulders and includes: several roadway crossings; redecking of a 160-ft-long former railroad bridge over the Sleepers River; design of special planking for a former 250-ft-long railroad tunnel for snowmobile, bicycle, and pedestrian use; landscaping and use of retaining walls to address property owner concerns; sections of sidewalk for pedestrians; and a “share the road” section for bicyclists. Design included a new trailhead parking lot and lighting in the tunnel and at the bridge over the Sleepers River.

Services included alternatives analyses, design, right-of-way, environmental documentation, utility coordination, contract document preparation, and assistance during construction. Preliminary Plans were prepared by others and had been approved when D&K was assigned the project. D&K modified the path alignment and design to eliminate a rail crossing and to minimize wetland, stream buffer, cultural resource, and property impacts. The project required extensive coordination with adjacent residential and commercial property owners. Project included extensive coordination with the VTrans Rail Section. D&K also met with the Vermont Railway and conducted a diagnostic meeting to discuss crossing of their active line.

Project issues included working with the VTrans Rail Section for property boundary establishment and leasing of the Lamoille Valley rail corridor; conversion of the former rail bridge and tunnel to shared use path facilities; extensive property owner coordination, negotiation, and mitigation measures to address concerns; and coordination with Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) for future extension of this path to become part of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. The project was administered through VTrans Local Transportation Facilities (LTF) Section and followed the LTF Guidebook for Municipally Managed Projects.