Garden/ Forest access bridge & stone path project.

[ebinmaine 80,703]

Our property consists of "something over 10 acres". Actual size unknown. We know exactly where the borders are. We know the edges aren't negotiable. We pay taxes on 10. 

I originally bought  EXACTLY 10. 

 

The reason we don't know the actual size is that back about 12 or 15 years ago there was a logging project done on the 16 acres that surrounds me on two sides. 

 

At that time the permitting process required them to get a legal Land Survey done. My back border stayed put. My side border however moved AWAY from the house building 65 feet ONLY at the front (street) pin. 

 

I gained a wedge shaped sliver of land on the long side.  

Hence.... "something over 10 acres".

 

 

The front 3+ is separated from the rear 7+ by a mountain runoff stream that has a wide marshy area. 

 

This year one of our main projects is to construct and improve the access to the back 7 ish acres. 

 

In the past we've gone by foot or machine over to the far left side and crossed the temporary pallet bridge near that border. 

Note I wrote temporary. 

After 6 or 7 years it's time to replace or relocate that bridge. 

 

We choose to relocate the access to a more central point of the acreage.  

 

Over the years we've had two good sized clearing and flattening projects done. We cut and harvested the trees for firewood. Then the stump clearing was done by the excavator. He also relocated a bunch of rocks and boulders along with flattening out the ground surface making it passable by machine.  

We built the garden in the first cleared area a few years ago.  

 

This new bridge location happens to align with the garden access as well. Double positive.  

 

 

The span distance is pretty short. If stones were set on both sides of the stream most people could jump across.

The bridge dimensions will be: 

48" span by 50" or so wide. 

The widest tractor we have is 42". The splitter has a slightly offset pull. 

This should be just fine. 

 

 

While delivering to a lumberyard several months ago I noticed a piece of 4" x 6" x 16' PT setting on a cull pile. It was wickedly curved. Perfect for making bridge beams.  

 

I cut that to four pieces just under 4 feet each. 

 

For the top boards we're using some pieces of rough cut 2" x 8" red oak. This isn't the ideal outdoor wood but it'll be able to dry in the sun all year so it should last many years if treated. 

 

Yesterday I spent a few hours reorganizing in the barn again and part of that was getting the lumber out from its buried hiding spots. 

 

I cut the 2 x 8s to an even half, about 50".

I sanded the edges of the red oak and used a wood rasp to deburr the PT. 

 

Then I started painting. I'm using the solid color exterior stain we originally bought for the barn. 

That color is being changed this year so we had leftover paint. 

 

Here's where I left off...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ri702bill 13,067]

Looks good... my 2 cents  - seal all surfaces & edges of all the wood. It is going over a high moisture ares, exposed on all sides...

Edited April 13, 2025 by ri702bill

[ebinmaine 80,703]

3 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

Looks good... my 2 cents  - sall all surfaces & edges of all the wood. It is going over a high moisture ares, exposed on all sides...

 

ALL the edges and corners and ends will be painted a minimum of two coats. Maybe more. 

I figured on repainting the top surface every two years.  

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 80,703]

While looking for pics of this bridge I realized I'd failed to update this thread...

 

Here's a post from many moons ago showing the final product.  

 

 

 

We've been in a holding pattern for installation due to being in a holding pattern for getting the excavator back over here. 

This past week that finally happened. 

 

At some point fairly soon we'll move the new bridge into place and get a good pile of stones on the path before n aft...

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 80,703]

This afternoon Trina and I finished up the bridge and installed it. 

The last two vinyl boards to be added were the ends. That'll prevent the aggregate from going down in between the beams. 

 

 

 

 

After having the little stream cleaned out and reshaped by the excavator we decided to move the pathway upstream a bit. 

The old bridge was located just to the right of the hemlock tree at picture left.

We'll now curve the path to the right more before crossing the stream.  

 

 

 

We had already set the bridge in place and were making adjustments to its base. Trina went to get the garden hoe while I held the bridge up. 

 

 

 

 

We dug out the dirt and rocks from under the bridge even more than the excavator had done. 

Once we got a good stable set, we added some of the rocks and dirt we'd taken from the bottom of the channel to the sides of the bridge. 

 

 

 

 

These next two pics show the channel we added and the overall set up from each side. 

 

 

 

 

We'll continue to add stones to both sides along with creating the approach pathway from each direction.  

 

 

[RandyLittrell 3,946]

Looking good Eric!!!!

[c100rider 162]

I like it.