28 Oct Engineers Present Proposal to Repair Wheelway Collapse

The City of Petoskey revealed a completed proposal to repair the “Miracle Mile” section of the Little Traverse Wheelway last week. About 100 people attended an open house and public meeting hosted by the Petoskey City Council on Oct. 20 at City Hall.

A printed copy of the 60-page plan is available for inspection at the Packy Offield Trail Center and Petoskey City Hall, as well as online.

The most important takeaway from the proposal is that restoring the Miracle Mile is technically feasible, and in fact doing so is fairly straightforward. The engineering study concluded that erosion at the toe of the bluff was the primary factor in the slope failure that caused about 150 feet of the trail to collapse.

Essentially, this $19.8 million design calls for a 90-foot prefabricated pedestrian bridge coupled with regrading and slope stabilization to restore the trail. About 66 percent of the price tag, however, is the cost of stabilizing the shoreline to protect the toe of the bluff from future erosion.

Known as dynamic revetment, the shoreline stabilization effort would span approximately 3,750 feet and use layers of particular types of quarried cobblestone, which would move and fluctuate with wave action and water levels. By working with the existing rocky beach condition this would ostensibly better protect the shore from erosion, according to Baird & Associates, the City’s contracted engineering firm.

Protecting this stretch of shoreline is about more than just the Little Traverse Wheelway. If left unaddressed, future high water levels would likely lead to further erosion of the bluff, possibly endangering homes, businesses, and U.S. 31.

The plan also details a number of complementary methods needed to stabilize the bluff above the shore. Those include planting of native conifer trees, like white pine and white spruce; deciduous shrubs like Arctic Fire Red Twig Dogwood, Staghorn Sumac and Fragrant Sumac; and ground cover plants like Prairie Dropseed Grass and other native grasses.

A series of water drainage structures will be used in addition to soil nailing, a slope stabilization technique that uses long metal bars to “nail” soil into place using a mesh matrix. Steel sheet pilings, mulch mats, and block retaining walls are also in order.

The Petoskey City Council engaged in brief discussion following the engineering presentation, and some in attendance asked questions. But, the Council said it is planning for more earnest discussion at its Monday, Nov. 3 meeting, which starts at 6 p.m.

A generation ago, our community came together and realized a bold vision. The completed Little Traverse Wheelway provided a safe and stunning nature trail that connected the City of Petoskey to every community around Little Traverse Bay, knitting our region together and becoming a source of both recreation and local pride.

The task of our generation is to ensure there is a resilient solution to bring back this beloved community amenity. The City of Petoskey has done a great job leading the charge on bringing the trail back, but they can’t do it alone. Our entire community must come together to once again realize this bold and important vision.