INDIAN FORT TRAIL SECTIONS 1 and 2

City of Berea, KY

Indian Fort Theatre east of Berea serves as a critical component of the community’s arts & crafts identity. Commuting to the site has previously been limited to motorized vehicles along narrow rural roadways. The City of Berea decided to enhance the transportation options by constructing a series of trails from downtown Berea to the Indian Fort Theatre site, and the Indian Fort Trail serves as the eastern portion of the route. 

While with another firm, Banks Engineering’s senior engineer served as project manager and lead design engineer providing design and construction services for approximately 2.0 miles of a 10′ shared use path, being the first two of three sections of the trail system connecting the City to Indian Fort Theatre.  Section 1 (approx. 0.9 miles) extended from the eastern portion of the urban area to Shortline Pike and Section 2 (approx. 1.1 miles) extended from Blue Lick Road to Indian Fort Theatre.  Banks Engineering is currently designing Section 3 (1.1 miles). 

Specific work included: 

• Acquisition of current photogrammetric mapping.
• Horizontal alignment studies. The project corridor was largely undeveloped, but many alternates were drafted in order to provide for an economical design while minimizing impacts on adjacent properties and utilities as well as providing for future connectivity.
• Vertical geometrics were an important part of the project in order to eliminate utility impact while resulting in economical earthwork.
• The project corridor involved numerous stream crossings (large and small). Drainage at smaller locations were accommodated with “low water crossings”.
• The Silver Creek crossing required a structurally designed 80-foot long ridge.

Coordination of geotechnical investigations and structural designs