In 2025, the Summit Metro Parks Foundation supported the construction of a replacement bridge on the Parcours Trail at Goodyear Heights Metro Park, carrying the trail over a small stream, while testing new, sustainable materials for the long-term benefit of the parks.
The bridge is constructed of a new concrete material.
Trail bridges in Northeast Ohio suffer through intense weather every year, resulting in damage to their surfaces and structures. At Summit Metro Parks, our wooden bridges and walkways handle repeated bouts of water and sun damage, lowering their lifespan after every season.
Utilizing donor support for the Trails Fund, a new, longer-lasting material was used to construct the replacement bridge, testing what we expect to be an improved, sustainable method for trail bridges that cross creeks and valleys in our parks.
The new material is expected to be longer-lasting.
The prior wooden bridge was beginning to fail.