PROJECT OVERVIEW
To design and construct a number of soft surface hiking trail segments, including low and high bridges of varying lengths and wayfinding signage, as called for in the 2003 Marquam Hill Plan and using the preliminary alignments determined by public process in 2007. Using PP&R's 2009 Trail Design Guidelines, the new trails will be designed to responsibly expand hiking options within the park while preserving the habitat and other environmental values and functions. The project will provide key pedestrian connections between the surrounding neighborhoods, OHSU, and the Terwilliger Parkway and eliminate a network of unsafe demand trails that damage habitat and water quality. Funding is provided by a Local Share of Metro's 2002 Greenspaces Bond Measure.

Eight preliminary trail segment alignments were determined through a public process in 2007. Each of those segments has been assessed by consultants as to its environmental impact, safety and maintainability, circulatory and recreational contribution, and cost. The estimated Total Project Cost to design and build all of the proposed segments significantly exceeds the project budget. Public input will be sought to identify the highest priority segments to move ahead with the available funding into design and permitting. PP&R anticipates building those trails in 2013.

PROJECT MANAGERS
Design & Construction
Allison Rouse, 503-823-5598, allison.rouse@portlandoregon.gov

City Nature West Manager
Astrid Dragoy, 503-823-4376, astrid.dragoy@portlandoregon.gov

PROJECT SCHEDULE

September 2012
Receive permits for trail installation

October-December 2012
Coordinate trail and bridge designs

December 2012-January 2013
Structural permitting

February-April 2013
Bid out trail construction

May-October 2013
Construction

PROJECT UPDATE

October 2012
All environmental, land use and site development permits were received this month. A manufacturer has also been selected to build the bridges. As we proceed to develop the design, we will be reconciling the permitted trail design with the conceptual bridge designs. Once this design work is complete, we will apply for structural permits on the bridges, followed by bidding out the trail installation work. These steps should be complete over this winter allowing construction to begin when the rains abate in late spring of 2013.

Trails 5 and 5a will be built, so that the nature park will have a generous internal loop as well as one connection between the Fairmount and OHSU areas. Cost estimates have been kept updated throughout this process, and it now appears that installation of Trail 4 and the Trail 1 crossings (see 2013 Site Construction Map) may need to wait for further funding to be added to the project. If the bids come in lower than we anticipate, we will be ready with completed designs and permits for these features.

PROJECT BACKGROUND
Marquam Nature Park supports an abundance of native tree species, such as Douglas fir, western hemlock, western red cedar, and bigleaf maples, and a variety of natural habitats. The entire park has a protective environmental zoning overlay applied to ensure preservation of that habitat and the natural hydrology (the flow of water through its many seeps and perennial and seasonal streams).

The park currently contains one official trail, the Marquam Trail, a part of the 40-Mile Loop and the SW Trails network, which connects uphill to Council Crest and the Oregon Zoo and downhill to Terwilliger Parkway. There are also quite a few unsafe and damaging demand (a.k.a. "social") trails that connect the surrounding neighborhoods with destinations such as the Marquam Trail, OHSU, and Terwilliger Parkway.

A small kiosk with information about the Nature Park and the trail network is located at the base of the Marquam Trail along Terwilliger.