For over 20 years, Fountain Creek has wreaked havoc on El Paso County’s Front Range Trail and creek infrastructure in the vicinity of the Hanson Trailhead within Fountain Creek Regional Park. BHI was hired by the County to change this trend by developing resilient channel restoration and bridge/trail replacement designs while staying within FEMA funding limits. BHI provided data gathering, including field survey and site investigations, geomorphic and hydraulic analyses, civil and structural design services, construction documents, and construction phase services.

Working with the County, the BHI team completed geomorphic and hydraulic analysis as part of a Natural Channel Design (NCD) approach that relocated the bridge approximately 1,000′ downstream to a more stable reach and added a second bridge span to increase the crossing capacity. Our design also increased floodplain capacity by means of a new high flow channel around the new bridges. To train the channel forming flows to the center of the creek to minimize bank erosion and migration, our design included bendway weirs and J-hooks. Once channel restoration design was established, BHI designed repairs to the trail embankment berm and new trail to the relocated and new bridges enabling park users to enjoy the Front Range Trail at Hanson Trailhead once again.