New Trail Crossing at Mink Brook Nature Preserve

The trail crossing connecting the two sides of Mink Brook Nature Preserve in Hanover, NH has reached the end of its useful life and must be replaced. The crossing is located on land subject to strict conservation requirements and is sacred to the local Abenaki Tribe. Therefore, the replacement structure must have limited use of metal and nonnative materials, be removable if necessary, and have minimal environmental impact in order to be respectful of the significance and history of the site. The process of designing the new crossing focused on incorporating Abenaki and Hanover community member values, such as maintaining a natural, unintrusive aesthetic and increasing the long-term viability and sustainability of the crossing. Given these requirements and considerations, a suspension bridge design with a 68’ span was chosen. The major features of the design include 9’ towers at each corner of the bridge that allow cable to run to the ground and be supported by helical piles. This design was chosen after researching various trail bridge designs, performing hydrological modeling, obtaining community feedback through interviews and extensive surveying, and running feasibility calculations. A set of technical drawings, structural calculations, materials and equipment lists, and construction crew recommendations were provided to the sponsor, the Hanover Conservancy, along with a construction sequence, current crossing removal plan, economic analysis, and physical scale model. With this information, the Hanover Conservancy can construct the design and reopen the crossing in the upcoming spring or summer