WARNING: The Manitou Incline is an EXTREME trail

2015 Colorado Association of Stormwater and Floodplain Managers Conference
WARNING: The Manitou
Incline is an EXTREME trail
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF TRAIL
IMPROVEMENTS ON THE INCLINE
Don Jacobs, PE
- Principal, Enginuity Engineering Solutions
Jesse Clark, RLA, LEED - Principal, Stream Design Landscape Architecture
Sarah Bryarly, RLA - Project Manager, City of Colorado Springs, Parks Recreation and Cultural Services
Incline History
 1904: 1 mile cable tram completed to haul pipeline
and materials for water line and
hydroelectric plant
 1908: Funicular railway tourist attraction opens
 1915: A campus of 8 buildings exists at the upper
terminus of the Incline
 1990: Operations as the Mt. Manitou Scenic
Railway end, rails removed
 1994: Manitou Springs’ Rainbow Vision Plan“Reclaim Incline”
 2003: Incline Club Feasibility Plan
 2011: Site Development and Management
Plan adopted
 2013: Hiking trail officially legal
 2014: Phase 1 improvements complete
 Photo provided by Joshua Frieseman, and
 Engineering Record Vol 53, No 20 P. 622
Incline Facts
 2,011 foot elevation gain in 1 mile
 41% average grade - 68% steepest
 2,741 railroad ties (pre-improvements)
 Over 375,000 annual trips
 Ave. EMS call: 4-6 hours
 Used by Residents, Tourists and Athletes
20 years of unmanaged, prohibited
use has resulted in:
 Heavy usage
 Significant erosion on the
mountain side
 Dangerous trail conditions
 User conflicts
 Insufficient parking
 Traffic congestion
The Need for Repairs
The Need for Repairs
The Need for Repairs
The Need for Repairs
Constraints
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Limited Funding
Limited Construction Access
Existing High-Pressure Water Line
Extremely Steep Slopes
Non-cohesive soils (decomposed granite)
Maintain the Incline’s “Character”
Metric of Success
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Enhanced Experience
Preserve Character
Maintanable by Volunteers
Durable
Alternative
Analysis
Ideas and Concepts
First Ideas
 Grade control walls = reduce velocity and
erosion
 Catch basins = attenuate flows and catch
sediment
 Stair ties = to climb, and maintain the
alignment and character of the Incline
Ideas and Concepts
Evolution
 Timber chase
 Variable character
 Still labor intensive
 Still too “stair” like
 Still Expensive
Ideas and Concepts
And then…
 Cable “ladder” unit
 Variable character
 Simple construction
 More like original
 Less expensive
Ideas and Concepts
 Cable “ladder” unit
 Variable character
 Simple construction
 More like original
 Less expensive
Final Concept
Design
Design
Construction
Construction
Walls
Ties
Ties
Drainage
Incline Improvements - By The Numbers
 $1.6 million: Budget for 4-month overhaul
 2,741: Steps on the Incline (before project)
 90: Helicopter trips per day to transport dirt
 900: Tons of new dirt used shoring up the hillside
 60: Landscape crewmen on the project
 70: Gallons of drinking water supplied to worksite /week
 15-20: Estimated pounds lost by each worker
 1,800: New ties added to the project -trail, walls, drainage
 80-100: Weight of each railroad tie, in pounds
 150: Number of volunteers who worked on connector trail
between Incline and Barr Trail
 $162,000: Amount saved through volunteer labor
Results
Before and After
Results
Before and After
Results
Before and After
Pre Construction
Design Rendering
Post Construction
Questions
djacobs@enginuity-es.com
jclark@streamla.com
sbryarly@springsgov.com