Nature Bridges (www.naturebridges.com), one of the nation’s prominent bridge builders, announced today that it has completed a pedestrian boardwalk at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Rich in history, The College of William and Mary is the second oldest college in the United States. It was chartered in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II, of England. Built in 1695, The College of William and Mary has been dubbed as the “Alma Mater of a Nation” since some our founding forefathers attended the college. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Tyler and James Moore all received graduate degrees from the college
Nature Bridges was contracted through Barton Malow Company to construct a 15 ft. high by 12 ft. wide by 660 ft. long elevated pedestrian boardwalk with 6,384 sq. ft. of composite decking that connects the School of Education back to The College of William and Mary’s main campus. Using Nature Bridges’ top down construction method, the pedestrian boardwalk meanders through campus wetlands, allowing for students and visitors to admire the abundance of wildlife living on campus grounds. “We chose the top down method of construction for our bridge pathway out here mainly for the minimal impact it has on the wetlands,” said Willy Harris with Barton Malow Company Nature Bridges’ top down construction method assures clients that construction has minimal impact on the environment because no heavy equipment is used on the ground. Instead, Nature Bridges uses their lightweight hydraulic impact and material handling equipment that stays on top of the structure during construction, eliminating damage to vegetation and wildlife habitats. Using Nature Bridges’ top down construction method means the only things that touch the ground are workmen, and the only things left behind are footprints and a new structure.
In addition to the boardwalk construction, Nature Bridges installed approximately 1,064 lineal feet of custom fabricated stainless steel handrails. Nature Bridges also incorporated into the boardwalk construction an 8 ft. x 51 ft. observation deck for students and visitors to enjoy.
“We chose Nature Bridges for this project because they helped us during the preconstruction phase designing the bridge to work with our project constraints. At the end of the day, they were the best value for the owner,” said Willy Harris with Barton Malow Company.
Located in Tallahassee, Florida and licensed in several states, Nature Bridges is a leading design build construction company specializing in top-down construction of pedestrian bridges and boardwalks through environmentally sensitive areas. Not only does the company focus on innovative materials and environmentally friendly construction, but Nature Bridges also offers a wide variety of development amenities including golf cart bridges, architecturally designed trellises, fencing, pavilions, decks, docks, timber retaining walls as well as DOT approved timber curbing, guardrails, and roadside walkways. For more information, contact Nature Bridges at 850-385-3234 or visit www.naturebridges.com.
