Trail Construction: Underpasses and Tunnels

Sometimes a trail has to go under a road or through a hill.

Reflectors in unlighted tunnel (Allegheny Valley)

Up on the Allegheny River Trail there's a creative way to handle dark tunnels. They did something seriously cool in Kennerdell and Rockland tunnels -- they marked the edges and centerline of the pavement with surface-mounted reflectors -- standard traffic reflectors.

Culvert under fill in Montana

This culvert is used for XC skiers in the winter, for horseback riding in the summer. There's enough width for two-way traffic.

Bike trail culvert in Toronto

This is on the Don Trail, running up the Don River Valley from the lake. The trail makes a right-angle turn to the left going into the culvert and another to the right coming out. The yellow half-closed gate in the background at the far end of the culvert is supposed to slow bikers down as the enter the culvert. There's another out of sight to the left on the near side.

Bridge under bridge in Toronto

Here's a crossing under a road bridge, with the trail hanging from the substructure of the bridge. This is on the Don Trail near Don Mills Road. The top of the picture is
about at the base of the road surface. The trail is hung from the substructure of the bridge. I wouldn't bet that this is strong enough to hold a car or truck -- there's probably access from the road on both sides.

(left) General view of trail. Road bridge at the top, abutment at the left, creek below the trail boardwalk visible on the right.

(center) Detail of the upper end of one of the hangers, showing attachment to a girder of the road bridge.

(right) Detail of lower end of one of the hangers. Camera is outside the railing, showing how hanger goes through horizontal wooden member that's holding trail boardwalk.

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