Monterey County/Fort Ord Area Pedestrian Bridge

What was once an area built for rigorous training is now a fast-growing coastal community that, though connected in some places, is lacking in others. I, an 8th Grade Homeschool student, have set out to design a pedestrian bridge that will 'bridge' the gaps in this community, by connecting a modern, suburban area, to a bike path and state park rooted in the area's history.

• Autodesk Tinkercad

Upon choosing the Former Fort Ord and Monterey County area, I began by looking for a site for the bridge. My first thought was that it had to be near a bike or pedestrian trail, and soon, I found the Fort Ord Regional Trail And Greenway or FORTAG, a proposed pedestrian and bike trail, and the existing Monterey Bay Coastal Rec Trail. As you'll see in the pictures above, the Rec Trail runs alongside Fort Ord Dunes State Park, and while other proposed trails on the FORTAG plan intersect this trail, I noticed that in the Hayes Park area, there are no pedestrian crossings that go over highway 1 onto the Rec Trail. So, I had found my spot. A place that lacks connection to the nearby rec trail, and the neighboring state park. The Former Fort Ord area was also an ideal spot because as a Civil Air Patrol cadet, Its history holds a special place in my heart.

In the Hayes Park area, there is an area that has access roads and gravel paths that can easily be made into a green space where trail/bridge patrons can rest and relax. This green space will also include bicycle repair stations and tire pumps. The bridge will start at this spot and go over Highway 1, loop over an access road and a railroad track on the other side. Though there are no trails in the FORTAG plan that intersect this area, Hayes Park is a densely populated community that would use this bridge. In addition to that, Fort Ord Dunes State Park is planning to build a campground near the old bunkers that were used back when Fort Ord was still a fort. This would increase pedestrian and bike traffic in the area, making this bridge a perfect fit for the increased amount of people.

This bridge is heavily inspired by the area around it. Take for example the top view of the bridge, which resembles a seahorse, and the shapes on the railings of the bridge, which resemble manta rays. Both take inspiration from the local wildlife in Monterey Bay. I was also inspired by past 3d bridge architecture, such as the Balboa park bridge in San Diego, California; and the Striatus Bridge, previously installed in Venice. I took notice of certain patterns in these 3d-printed bridges and implemented some of them in this bridge.

Since the bridge was technically in the former fort ord area, I made sure that my bridge adhered to the design rules and proposed themes introduced in the FORTAG report.

As previously mentioned, I implemented certain design themes, such as the fluid-like shapes often used in 3D-printed bridge architecture. The whole bridge is made to leave a light impact on the earth, in accordance with the FORTAG design themes (mentioned above). It also uses luminescent asphalt that charges in the sun to frame the sides of the bridge.

Now that the bridge is designed, we can couple it with the green space and add it into the photos to simulate how it would look if actually implemented into the area.

This bridge would be a perfect design for the area, not only with the ties to the history and wildlife of the area but also with the practicability of the design. The bridge is also in such a spot that if the area were to not have it, it would make pedestrian and bike traffic for the residents of the Hayes Park area much more difficult. Overall, the needs of the area are well met with the design of the bridge and green space, making the whole area more inclusive and accesible.