Trail Foot Bridge Specifications

If you are installing a decorative footbridge in a backyard garden, specifications may not be your primary concern. But a footbridge in a park, nature center or other public place needs to meet Americans with Disabilities Act regulations (ADA) and local building codes. Provide a safe environment for all visitors by building an ADA-compliant footbridge across a gully, stream or gorge.

  1. Width and Length

    • Specifications may vary slightly by city, county or state, but most standard compliant footbridges must be at minimum 36-inches wide for a span of 20 feet. This makes bridges safe and accessible for all travelers, including those in wheelchairs. If a footbridge must be longer than 20 feet, then the width of the bridge must be widened to 72 inches.

    Height of Bridge

    • The height of the footbridge is measured from the bottom of the stream, river or ravine. Protective railing must be in place for all footbridges higher than 30 inches.

    Protective Rails

    • If a bridge requires protective rails, then the rails must extend 42 inches above the deck of the footbridge. Between the rail and the deck, there needs to be a mid rail at 34 inches in height. Rails are set no more than 4-inches apart. If the bridge doesn't require rails, then the bridge needs to have a 4-inch curb on each side of the bridge.

    Engineering

    • If a bridge is to be installed on public lands, then ADA requires a civil engineer or a structural engineer certify the design and construction.

    Decking

    • Construct footbridge decking with slip-resistant material and do not exceed a 12-to-1 slope on the deck surface or at any part along its length. Cross slopes are not to exceed three percent and deck surface at each end cannot vary more than 1/2 inch from the flat plane to where the deck joins it.