Out with the old, in with the new:
With the previous bridge completely destroyed by the high waters of Tropical Storm Fred, we took on the construction of a new, more sustainable trail bridge in its place.
Thanks to generous funding from the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority, our Trail Specialist worked alongside a U.S. Forest Service trails technician and Pisgah Project Day volunteers to rebuild this important trail bridge on a very popular trail.
The process:
Before the new and improved bridge could be built, what remained of the previous bridge needed to be pulled out of Grogan Creek. We completed this step in January 2022 using rigging, a tractor, and a rock bar (a heavy-duty, long, solid metal bar used for prying and moving large rocks, logs, or other heavy objects).
Next, we constructed large locust abutments and an approach staircase so that the new bridge would be positioned well above the stream, offering protection against future high water events. With the abutments constructed and filled with ballast stone, we set up a highline with rigging to fly the three 30-foot-long solid timber beams across the creek and anchor them down to the large sills within the abutment.
With this highly technical work completed in early April, we were able to engage volunteers on Pisgah Project Day to help complete the project by installing decking, handrails, and a turnpiked approach to the bridge.
