A New Bridge for Lower Covert Path

Stepping  across the seasonal creek on Lower Covert Path just got a bit easier.

In October 2017, a small group of Path Wanderers volunteers met to install a wooden bridge across the creek gulch just above Keith Avenue.  Like most local creek crossings, it’s not flowing water that gets in the way; it’s the deep channel needed to accommodate peak flow that challenges walkers.

The new bridge is a simple platform, 8’ long and 4’ wide, made from pressure treated beams and decking. Supported on precast concrete pier blocks, it spans the creek at an angle that required rerouting the path on the uphill side.

The materials cost about $200. Because all the parts were precut and predrilled, installation went very quickly once the footings were set in native soil.

The hardest part of the construction was squaring the two beams because of the challenging constraints of existing trees and rocks. This stage was a finicky task with many iterations, measurement checks, and re-digging of holes for the concrete pier blocks.