Jefferson County, CO
The Redi-Rock Ledgestone textured block was custom colored to match the look of the natural Colorado surroundings. This recreational path connects two Colorado mountain towns in Jefferson and Clear Creek counties.
Business Development Partner, Signature Stone
“Redi-Rock products allowed the walls to blend beautifully into the landscape because each block is cast in a mold taken from real natural stone – the Ledgestone texture perfectly matched the natural rock in the area.”
What better way to appreciate the natural beauty of an area than spending time there? So, engineers hiked, kayaked and rafted through the canyon during the entire project, selecting natural features they wanted to preserve and carving out the best route.
This helped solve the challenge of installing a 10-foot-wide (3-meter-wide) trail through a narrow canyon. To complete the trail, many miles of retaining walls were needed above and below the trail line.
All great visions have to start somewhere. This one began with over three miles of paved multi-purpose trail winding through the scenic Clear Creek Canyon.
This was no easy task, as the terrain includes steep slopes, flooding issues along the river, active landslide problems and limited space. In addition, protecting the natural habitat of endangered species was a must.
The long-term vision of the Peaks to Plains Trail is a 65-mile (105 kilometer) off-highway opportunity to travel from the Continental Divide to the South Platte River. The initial phase includes three bridges, six overlooks and 16 boulder benches, allowing hikers, climbers, anglers, bikers, picnickers, rafters and other outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy Clear Creek and this beautiful canyon.
Matt Andrews, Project Engineer from Muller Engineering Co., noted “One of the main objectives of this project was to create a trail and retaining walls that would blend so seamlessly with the canyon that users would think it had always been there.”
“The Redi-Rock gravity system was the perfect solution for the constricted space because it doesn’t require reinforcements,” said Seth Clark, Business Development Partner with Signature Stone, the local Redi-Rock manufacturer. “In addition, Redi-Rock products allowed the walls to blend beautifully into the landscape because each block is cast in a mold taken from real natural stone – the Ledgestone texture perfectly matched the natural rock in the area.”freestanding blocks seamlessly integrated on top of the bridge’s walls, forming stunning capped parapets. Clark and Thompson chose to go with Redi-Rock’s Ledgestone texture for the project because of its natural stone look. Signature Stone stained the blocks a mix of light tans to complement the slate gray of the culvert, the sunset-orange of the columns, and the park’s landscape overall.
Thompson’s decision to use Redi-Rock blocks in the design offered the benefit of an easy, speedy installation — something that became crucial when the bridgework got waylaid due to some issues from another supplier. When the time came to begin building the bridge’s walls, said Clark, Redi-Rock made it possible to get back on track.
“The bridge was behind schedule…and they were able to catch up because of how fast the walls went in,” he said.
Although Thompson couldn’t have foreseen the problem he’d ultimately solve because he’d specified Redi-Rock in his design, he wasn’t particularly surprised either.
“I chose it because it looks great, and it’s easy to build with,” he said.
With the Deer Creek bridge in place, the additional phases of the Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project can continue, ensuring access to water along the Front Range for generations to come.
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