Project Description
The Parklands of Floyds Fork
Jefferson County, Kentucky
The Louisville legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of New York City’s Central Park and Louisville’s own 19th century parks, provided inspiration for The Parklands of Floyds Fork.
One of the world’s most ambitious urban parks projects, its 3,800 acres now provide a rich variety of experiences for visitors. Miles of paved trails traverse streams snake through thick forests and glide under an active train trestle. Busloads of schoolchildren explore a Disney-esque manmade wetland where they can see, listen, smell, and discover with their own hands. The Great Wall of Distillery Bend eases pedestrians, wheelchairs and bikes up a 33% grade via a meandering trail that preserved a treasured forest and archaeological site. The 41-foot wall is the tallest built of pre-fabricated stone reminiscent of Kentucky’s limestone bedrock. The Parklands of Floyds Fork does what Olmsted’s parks did for Louisville a hundred years ago, improves lives and attracts business by bringing nature to neighborhoods while rising to his legacy.
Qk4 served as lead engineer for the most recently designed sections of the Parklands of Floyd’s Fork, which include the now constructed phase three, and phase four, currently under construction. Qk4 provided civil and structural engineering design, survey, and construction inspection services for the park’s gorgeous network of trails, roadways and bridges, and fulfilled the KYTC pre-qualification requirements of the design team.