ENGS 89/90 Reports

Year of Graduation

2021

Project Advisor

Mark Laser

Instructor

Solomon Diamond and Rafe Steinhauer

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

2021

Abstract

The goal of our project is to facilitate the design and development of the Bagley Fields to Warner Village section of the Concord Lake Sunapee Rail Trail (CLSRT). This section of trail has three primary goals, in no particular order: (1) to connect the town of Warner with its surrounding natural environment, (2) to provide safe access for everyone, including children, to the Bagley Field recreational facilities, and (3) to establish a challenging, key connection point along the planned 34-mile multi-use trail. The trail section may also serve as a form of alternative transportation for local residents.

The project area contains both natural and artificial challenge features, including riprap slopes underneath the I-89 and Route 103 overpasses, a lack of existing rail grade surface, ecologically sensitive wetland areas, frequently inundated floodplains, and pinch points between the Warner River and the I-89 highway. In addition to designing the trail around these difficult features and limiting the trail’s environmental footprint, our sponsor has also voiced their desire for the trail to be wheelchair accessible and comply with the American Disability Act (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) standards.

Our primary project deliverable is a 30% engineering design plan set, which includes plan, profile, and section views of potential trail routes and structures, an economic analysis of various designs and material usages of the trail section, and an operations and maintenance plan to mitigate environmental impact and risk during both construction and trail use. Since the entirety of the project site is located in the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) limited access right of way, these 30% design plans are intended to be shared by our sponsor with the FHWA, per their request, to gain their approval of the project.

The design plans were influenced heavily by our second deliverable: geospatial site analysis of the project area. This includes a hydraulic analysis of the Warner River, as well as terrain analyses of the existing surface.

Our third deliverable is an ArcGIS StoryMap, a digital storytelling tool that allows for the combination of Geographic Information System (GIS) data, text, photos, and other multimedia content into one interactive map, which can be publicly accessed online. The StoryMap will be used by our sponsor to market the trail section, as well as the rest of the CLSRT, to the public, and it can later be used by trail users to acquire educational and logistical information about the trail.

To complete this project to the best of our abilities, we relied heavily on communication with our sponsor and other outside resources to gain a better understanding of any potential problems and the feasible solution space.These resources include representatives from the Warner community and local advisory board, the Rails-toTrails Conservancy, the NH Department of Environmental Services, the NH Fish and Game Department, the National Park Service, Toole Design Inc., Balance Hydrologics, a licensed civil engineer, GIS specialists, independent wetland scientists, the Montshire Museum, and various board members of the Friends of the CLRST.

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Restricted: Campus/Dartmouth Community Only Access

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