Ottawa County Parks and Recreation - Idema Explorers Trail, Stearns Bayou Section Archives

December 13, 2024

Progress Report:

This week Miller Bridge completed removing form work from the deck expansion and also completed concrete work on the bridge. The also started work on the new guardrail.

Upcoming Work:

Next week they plan to focus on cleaning up the project area and getting ready to open the bridge to two-way traffic. Sometime next week they will swap lanes and finish the guardrail on the south side. On the trail they will be finishing up the driveways and installing fence on the 128th Avenue section of the pathway.

December 11, 2024

Progress Report:

Last week Miller Bridge completed pouring the east fishing/observation overlook on the bridge. In addition, they finished placing the railing between the vehicle and bike lanes. They continue to work on the pedestrian fence on top of the retaining walls.

Upcoming Work:

This week they plan to remove the forms on the concrete overlooks, continuing pouring the parapet walls for the bike lane and complete installation of the pedestrian fencing.

November 25, 2024

This Week:

On the bridge, crews poured the parapet wall on outside of new bridge deck for pedestrian protection. Crews also worked on forming bridge outlooks and the vehicular wall between the drive lane and pedestrian lane. Crews poured a barrier wall between pedestrian lane and drive lanes on Saturday 11/23.

On the pathway, crews completed work on grading aggregate base. The pathway now has been fully paved. Crews worked on restoration efforts along the pathway prepping for seeding.

Next Week:

On the bridge, crews will continue work on forming overlooks. In addition, crews will be on site to begin work on installation of new guardrail at both ends of the bridge.

On the pathway, crews will continue working on restoration efforts.

November 15, 2024

Progress Report:

This week Miller Bridge completed the deck pour, and continued work buttoning up the trail, working on finishing the restoration and starting work on the 128th Avenue section of the trail.

Upcoming Work:

Next week they will work on tearing down the deck forms, and likely start on the parapet walls that will separate the traffic from the new pathway lane.

On the trail they will continue to work on the 128th Avenue section, and pavers will finish paving the gaps in the path early in the week, and anticipate paving the 128th Avenue section by the end of the week.

Video of Miller Bridge deck pour:

November 8, 2024

Progress Report:

This week crews from Miller Bridge completed installing the forms and reinforcement steel for the bridge deck expansion and began to pour the deck.

On the pathway crews focused on the restoration efforts: placing and grading out the topsoil in preparation to seed.

Upcoming Work:

Next week Miller Bridge anticipates they will continue to pour the bridge deck. The deck will need to be wet cured for 7 days (this is the wet burlap underneath the plastic wrap).

On the pathway crews will begin work on the section of path along 128th Avenue in addition to restoration and more seeding.

November 1, 2024

Progress Report:

This week Miller Bridge crews continued work on installing deck forms and reinforcement steel for the new bridge lane.

On the pathway they finished paving a significant portion of the trail, with a few gaps where other work will be completed. They are continuing to focus on restoration along the paved sections of the path.

Upcoming Work:

Next week they will finishing forming the deck and continue placing the reinforcement steel for the bridge. They are tentatively planning to begin pouring the concrete deck late next week.

Next week they will also concentrate on working on topsoil and restoration on the trail.

October 25, 2024

Progress Report:

This week Miller Bridge began installing the forms for the deck pour. Reinforcement steel is now being placed as well.

On the pathway crew are continuing east placing aggregate, grading it and preparing for paving. Earlier this week sections of the path were paved.

Upcoming Work:

Next week work will continue preparing the deck with steel and forms.

Crews will continue to work east on the pathway, placing aggregate base, paving and restoration.

October 17, 2024

Progress Report:

This week Miller Bridge focused on the removal of part of the existing bridge deck and the brush block sidewalk on the north side of the bridge. Other crews continued work on the pathway to the east, clearing, grading, placing gravel, and working on restoration on sections already paved.

Upcoming Work:

Next week they will continue removing the crushed deck and sidewalk, and then forming for the new deck. They anticipate pouring the back walls at the abutments this weekend. In addition to the clearing and grading for the bike path, they anticipate paving the top course on the completed stretch on Wednesday, and then paving the base course on sections they have ready to the east.

October 11, 2024

Progress Report:

This week bridge crews are working on removals, including the sidewalk and decking, as well as removing the remaining column forms.

On the pathway they are continuing to work path to the east, grading, placing gravel and adding topsoil along the back side in preparation for additional paving.

Upcoming Work:

Next week work will continue on removals on the bridge. On the pathway they anticipate paving the top course on sections already based and paving the base course on an additional 2,500 feet of gravel.

October 4, 2024

Progress Report:

This week Miller Bridge completed the installation of the new galvanized beams and began work installing the forms for the bridge deck expansion. On the pathway crews paved the top course of asphalt west of the bridge and began restoration of this section. East of the bridge crews are continuing work clearing, graveling and grading the pathway.

Upcoming Work:

Next week Miller Bridge will focus on the installation of the form work for the deck. They anticipate also beginning the process of removing the existing brush block sidewalk on the north side of the bridge.

Pathway crews will continue work on the trail to the east, and they hope to be able to start base course paving next week here as well.

Ottawa County Parks and Recreation - Idema Explorers Trail, Stearns Bayou Section

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