Palm Beach County developed Riverbend Park as a wildlife management area to provide hiking/biking, canoeing/kayaking, and equestrian trails along the   Wild and Scenic Loxahatchee River. The park is located between Indiantown Road and the Hungryland Slough Canal in Jupiter, Florida. As a part of the park’s development, the County wanted to create a bridge to allow equestrian crossings over the Loxahatchee River as well as to provide emergency vehicle access from Jupiter Farms into the southeastern portions of the park.

WGI designed an 11-foot wide by 75-foot long equestrian bridge. The bridge was constructed utilizing prestressed concrete piles with a concrete pile cap and prestressed concrete bridge decks. A decorative tongue and groove façade with rough-cut timber rails were used to match the aesthetic appearance of the rustic park. The raised walls and timber rails were used to facilitate a safe and comfortable crossing for equestrian riders. To facilitate emergency access to the park, the bridge was dimensioned to allow local emergency vehicles clearance across the bridge. The bridge was designed to meet AASHTO HL93 Loading.

WGI staff provided structural design services and construction administration services. Design services included preparation of construction design plans, signed and sealed design calculations, preparation of an engineer’s cost estimate, and oversight of the permit application process. Construction services included observation of the concrete prestressing, reinforcement, and concrete placement. Field and prestressed yard observations were completed throughout construction so that final certification could be provided.