Using massive cranes, Cleveland Metroparks installed a 150 ft. pedestrian bridge over Mill Creek today as part of Phase 2 of the Mill Creek Trail, a key connector trail in Cleveland Metroparks 300-mile trail system, that will link Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation in Cuyahoga Heights to Garfield Park Reservation in Garfield Heights. The 150 ft. prefabricated pedestrian bridge was installed in two 75 ft. pieces lifted into place using several massive, heavy-duty rotatable cranes. The Pratt truss bridge was fabricated in Fort Payne, Alabama by Pioneer Bridges. The pieces were then shipped to a subcontractor in Donegal, Pennsylvania to have a specialized three-coat bridge painting system applied. "We had to cross Mill Creek in order for the trail to get from Bacci Park to Garfield Park Reservation," said John Kilgore, Cleveland Metroparks Manager of Facilities Engineering. "The results of a formal bridge-type study indicated the most cost and material efficient solution was a prefabricated, steel Pratt truss bridge of standard length. The resulting bridge is 150 ft. long and 14 ft. wide with a wood deck and an arch in the middle to help with the grade transition." The bridge is part of a 1,100 ft switchback to offset the steep elevation change on the new ADA accessible trail, providing a dramatic overlook of Valley View and scenic views of some of the best preserved sections of Mill Creek, one of the largest tributaries of the Cuyahoga River. Phase 2 of the Mill Creek Trail is a 1.1 mile trail beginning in Bacci Park in Cuyahoga Heights following Warner Road and ending at Garfield Boulevard in Garfield Heights. The new Mill Creek Trail is an important link in Cleveland Metroparks 300-mile trail system that will eventually connect Garfield Park Reservation to Lake Erie via Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation and the Lake Link Trail. The trail will provide quality greenspace for cycling, walking, hiking, running and other recreational opportunities. Phase 2 of the Mill Creek Trail is scheduled to be completed in late summer 2015.