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

Important Information

This latest extension of the Idema Explorers Trail will close the gap between Grand Haven Township’s network at 144th Avenue and Green Street to Connor Bayou. Notably this project includes a new pathway lane on the bridge over Stearns Bayou.

Contact

P&N Engineer
Scott Post
616-364-8491

P&N Construction Observer
Justin Ball
616-460-2121

Contractor
Miller LS Bridge Construction, LLC
Mr. Scott Miller
517-258-0885

Ottawa County Parks and Recreation
Mr. Curt TerHaar
616-738-4656

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Progress Report:

This week Miller Bridge finished pouring the pier caps and the pier cap pedestals for the wider overlooks. In addition, they began setting several of the steel beams on the pier caps. The bridge is starting to take shape!

On the pathway restoration crews have been placing topsoil west of the bridge and clearing east of the bridge.

Upcoming Work:

Next week work will continue setting the beams. As soon as the beams are placed, they will remove the brush block sidewalk and add heavy duty concrete barriers for traffic safety on the bridge.

Pathway crews will continue prepping the west side for the top course of pavement, and the east side with grading and gravel.

Progress Report:

  • This week Miller Bridge continued work on the pier caps and all have been poured.
  • East of the bridge crews are working at clearing topsoil and placing gravel for the pathway.
  • West of the bridge the base course of asphalt was paved to 144th Avenue. Also, in this section the concrete curb was poured at 144th Avenue as well.
Upcoming Work:
  • Next week crews will pour the ADA ramps at 144th Avenue, and begin restoration, but mainly concentrate their efforts on the path to the east.
  • On the bridge they hope to begin setting the beams.

Progress Report:

This week Miller Bridge completed pouring the pier columns in the bayou and began working on forming and pouring the pier caps.

Upcoming Work:

Tomorrow Martin J Concrete plans to be onsite pouring new curb ramps for the pathway at 144th Avenue and at the Self Storage location, as well as the new ADA compliant sidewalk ramps at 144th Avenue.

Miller Bridge anticipates they will have additional crews working on the pathway next week. They plan to start clearing and grading starting at the bridge and moving east for now. In the next few weeks when their paving crew is available, they will switch to the west side of the bridge and fine grade it so they can pave.

On the bridge they will continue to form and pour the pier caps for the bridge. These pier caps are what the new bridge beams will set on.

Progress Report:

This week, Miller Bridge began pouring concrete for the exposed sections of the pile columns for the bridge in the bayou. They also completed removals at the corner of 144th Avenue and Green Street in preparation for concrete curb and ADA ramps soon.

Upcoming Work:

Next week, they anticipate continuing work on the pile columns and starting installation of concrete forms on the pier caps.

In addition, work may start west of the bridge prepping the gravel base in anticipation of asphalt paving soon.

Progress Report:

This week work continued pouring the concrete in the piles. Miller Bridge worked to clean up the south lane as they prepare to open the bridge! The bridge will be open to one way traffic starting Friday, August 30. Traffic will be controlled with an automated stop light set at both ends of the bridge.

Note, please use caution on the bridge as construction operations will continue even with the lane open.

Upcoming Work:

Miller Bridge intends to keep working on the piles. While there has been little progress on the trail section of the project, Miller Bridge anticipates bringing a new subcontractor to the project to move forward with this work. concentrating on the west end for now.