A while back I had a chance to try out the recently completed Turkey Creek Trail between Antioch and Metcalf. I had heard about this project from a consultant years ago and thought it was a crazy idea given the appearance of the topography of the area as viewed from a car on I-35 at 65mph.
Turns out I was wrong (shaddup it happens). There was an already graded roadbed on the creek bluff and when I was on the trail, I didn't feel like I was right next to a freeway with 100,000+ cars per day.
I uploaded some other pictures to Panoramio.com here. This shot below is near the start near Metcalf. These pictures were taken in November after all the leaves had fallen but the invasive honeysuckles still had leaves.
Ever wonder why I-35 has to be shut down when it rains a lot? I did and now I wonder no more. Now I wonder how long shale can hold up the interstate. I also wonder why KDOT and the Army Corps of Engineers can't get together and use all the green space in the median and along the highway to do an off-line storm water detention basin which will help both parties with flood control along Turkey Creek. I don't see that happening as that requires two different disciplines of engineers to work together for a solution that benefits the public as a whole......
Below is a shot of the old roadbed and how pretty it is even though it's right next to I-35.
At the end near Antioch, whoever built the trail had to use a "soldier pile" retaining wall.
What is a soldier pile retaining wall? It's a wall that is an earth "picket fence." In this case, steel H-beams were driven into the ground to provide the anchor for the wall. They would be similar to the posts in a wood picket fence. The "posts" stick out of the ground and use the ground to resist the force behind the wall. Another analogy would be the posts are similar to tent pegs. Tent pegs are driven into the ground and use the ground to keep the tension from the tent strings from pulling away.
In between the posts, any type of wall can be used. In this case, concrete slabs were inserted in between the H-beams. In some places you will see railroad ties. A lot of sound walls in the metro are soldier pile walls that don't hold earth.
Here's an illustration from national firm Hayward Baker of how they are built.
The "Retaining Wall Expert" explains how a soldier pile wall works with tie-backs like a soil nail retaining wall.
You don't need to understand how the trail works, you just need to find a way to enjoy it. I parked along the street near the apartments at the SWC of Metcalf and I-35 to walk this. It's a nice getaway for a short stroll if you need one.
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