Merritt Parkway Trail
Mitigate sight and sound from the Merritt Parkway for a more pleasurable visitor experience
Project Details
The Conservancy’s next major project is to improve the visitor experience along the 1.4km trail that borders the Merritt Parkway. Currently noisy and unsightly, the goal is to mitigate some of the road noise and screen or otherwise ameliorate the Parkway’s visual impact.
In 2023, the Conservancy contracted RKW Surveyors and Scott Cullen to commence initial tree, wetland, aerial and topographic surveys in preparation for design work. Together with our design partner Heritage Landscapes LLC (https://heritagelandscapes.com), we have defined a scope of work proposal with the objective to develop specific landscape plans by mid 2025.
Since topography and other challenges vary along the trail, the plans will likely include a mixture of different landscape treatments, including sound mitigation using earthworks, barriers, screening plantings, and adjustments to the trail layout.
The Conservancy anticipates an early 2025 start date to break ground and a multi-year timeframe for completion.