The popular Huckleberry Trail that runs between Christiansburg and Blacksburg, Va. will experience some growing pains soon. A new trail segment, connecting the existing Huckleberry Trail to the Hethwood Trail system, will provide a paved route between these two popular systems.

Traversing through Virginia Tech, farmland, and marshy soils, the challenge of this roughly one-mile trail design was to limit land disturbance and provide a stable and safe facility. Similar to the previous sections of the Huckleberry Trail that are currently in use, this project will also require the close coordination between multiple jurisdictions – Virginia Tech, the Town of Blacksburg, the Hethwood Community, and the Friends of the Huckleberry.

Anderson & Associates has long been involved in the development of the Huckleberry Trail and values the opportunity to continue this tradition. Having worked with the Friends of the Huckleberry Trail, a non-profit organization, since the inception of the trail joining Blacksburg and Christiansburg, continuing to develop additional segments and spurs only adds to the benefit that the community will experience from this recreation and alternative transportation facility.

A&A’s role in this project includes engineering design, coordination with local stakeholders, public involvement, and obtaining approval for construction. A&A has provided the attention and skill of two project managers for the trail expansion, Trevor Kimzey and Jay McGuire.

The Lane Stadium expansion project at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. will allow more Hokie fans to enjoy VT athletics. The expansion project, expected to be completed in August 2005, includes 1,118 new seats, stadium clubs, a new press box, bathrooms, retail areas, ticket offices, and a President’s Box suite.

The progress of the project is evident to anybody who drives by the expanding stadium. Behind the scenes, Anderson & Associates has been working closely with the project’s prime contractor, Turner Construction. A&A’s responsibilities include construction layout, control surveying, Auto CAD services, performing an as built record of the existing stadium, and foundation layout. Granville Higgins, Turner’s project manager, has been in contact with A&A’s project manager, Eric Gentry, nearly every day since the project began last December.

Higgins said, "We’re very proud of this project, but more importantly of the relationship with A&A." Gentry said that he is extremely pleased to have Turner’s confidence in a project of this scale.

"This project is our crown jewel," Gentry said. A&A has remained accommodating throughout this project, utilizing conventional survey equipment as well as global positioning equipment, RTK-GPS.