Work Begins on Drake Park Bank and Trail Project
/
The City of Bend Parks and Recreation District received the permit to construct Phase I of the Drake Park Bank and Trail Project this week, clearing the way to begin work on the project.
The GreenWorks team, including HDR, Inter-fluve, Pacific Habitat Services, Inc., Carlson GeoTech, and R&W have been working with the district on this project since 2018. The GreenWorks team is excited to see that Phase 1 has now begun.
Phase I includes land owned by the district that is located above the ordinary high water mark. The main component of the work is in the heart of the park, where the Deschutes River Trail will spur from the existing plaza to meet the sidewalk. This spur will help alleviate heavy traffic and reduce user conflicts.
Background on the Project
The project site is in the heart of downtown Bend and spans from Drake Park through private land to Pacific Park along the right bank of the Mirror Pond and the Deschutes River. Drake Park is a popular downtown community gathering place and is highly frequented by floaters, runners, cyclists, pedestrians, picnickers, and others.
Drake Park, on the upstream end, is the hop-out site to take the River Shuttle. Due to the high traffic, GreenWorks is designing a large waiting plaza with benches and information kiosks across from the shuttle parking. The team is also expanding and enhancing the beach and creating an ADA concrete path from the plaza to the water to make this location a more enjoyable and safe place for all users.
There are sections along Drake Park that preclude cyclists, strollers and wheelchairs as well as areas where there are user conflicts between different use groups, including pedestrians and cyclists, and cyclists and stroller walkers. The GreenWorks team has creatively designed an accessible route to connect the Deschutes River Trail from Pioneer Park downstream through Pacific Park where it meanders on surface streets until it reaches a new boardwalk at Newport Bridge. The boardwalk will span from Newport Bridge along the south edge of Mirror Pond to the existing plaza in the center of Drake Park. Once users arrive at the plaza, the trail will split, and cyclists will traverse toward the road and meet back with the original alignment of the DRT, while pedestrians will continue along the water edge.
This project is also involves assessing the current banks along Mirror Pond. Banks along the river are eroding creating a need for constant maintenance for the District. The GreenWorks team worked together with stakeholders to determine that the best option for the banks was not to be armored with rip rap but rather to address erosion as well as create habitat. The solution involves the removal of the concrete cap on top of the wall, deconstruction of banks, reuse the rock in place, and adding riparian plantings. Split rail fencing will be installed in a few locations to deter the trampling of vegetation, allowing the vegetation to remain in place for the enhancement and creation of habitat.
Prior Work with Bend Parks & Recreation at the Site
In 2013, GreenWorks worked on a Visioning Plan for Mirror Pond from the Galveston Bridge downstream to the Portland Bridge including both sides of the river. The Mirror Pond Trail and Bank Improvement Project is based on that 2013 visioning project, as the GreenWorks team moved from concept to design to repair failing systems along the river, connect and extend the Deschutes River Trail, address ADA, mobility and access, and create and enhance habitat.
We are looking forward to seeing the progress of construction through 2022!