Fort Wayne, Indiana created an urban oasis with the Treetop Trail located at Promenade Park. Situated along the St. Mary’s River, the 4.2 acre park appeals to both the young and old with open playscapes, water features, and entertainment venues. Downtown Fort Wayne was looking for an attraction to bring residents downtown. 

Promenade Park, the latest in a chain of urban redevelopment added a multitude of new spaces and activities to downtown. The tree top trail extends the network of greenspaces within the city and provides easy access to the river and surrounding natural areas; something Fort Wayne has proven is a priority for its community. 

This project is the beginning of a revitalization of our downtown area which has seen a new baseball facility, hotels, restaurants, and other business opportunities. With the success of Promenade park, the once overgrown property along the river, has now become prime real estate for entrepreneurs and the city.

A duplex coating was specified in this project for the longevity of galvanizing and the customization of the paint color. A natural paint color was specified to blend in with the surroundings. With this process, we can assure double the life of the paint with little to no degradation of the steel. The structures are located up to 30' in the air, over a river, and in the trees which would increase the costs to repair or maintain the trail.

The fabricator and galvanizer worked together to tackle this logistical problem a year before the project was started. The challenges that arose for this project was the transportation of the large pieces that needed custom fabrications to bolt onto the trailer Large double dipped pieces were scheduled ahead of time for work on weekends with a small crew to ensure there was no damage.
The galvanizer and painter were in constant communication to ensure the end product was acceptable to the end user. This required no painting of cold galv on the material, and ability to grind certain areas that would be visible with a paint application. Due to the successful duplex coating, talks have started where they will again utilize hot dip galvanizing and paint to protect the steel from the harsh Midwest climate. Maintenance free structures are the main focus of the design group when planning. Hot dip galvanizing is specified for superior protection from corrosion and rust for generations.