Washougal River Bridge Camas, Washington

In addressing the City of Camas immediate needs while providing new piping for future demands, a new pedestrian bridge over the Washougal River was designed to connect a regional trail system and carry a new water main. Otak was chosen to manage a full-service design team addressing water and utility design. That team included civil engineering, trail and landscape architecture, environmental analysis and permitting, structural and geotechnical engineering and archaeological investigation.

A Structure to Connect a Trail System and Carry Utility Infrastructure

Working in an area with archaeologically sensitive sites and important fish habitat would pose a challenge to any single project, yet the City of Camas sought three concurrent projects in just such a space: nearly two miles of a regional trail system, a new 24-inch water transmission main and a new bridge to carry water and sewer over the Washougal River. The full-service design process assessed the site to determine the ideal bridge type while limiting impact to the environment and avoiding disruptions to any culturally-sensitive resources. This effort included river hydraulic analysis and scour design as well as the geotechnical engineering and archaeological investigation. In meeting the active transportation goals of the trail system, landscape architects focused on reviewing trail alignment options, in-field direction of vegetation clearing along the preferred trail route, and construction drawings and specifications.