Jordan Hale, left, and Jared Fawley of Fawley & Sons, Inc. remove and properly replace railing boards on the Conklin Bay boardwalk. InkFreeNews photos provided by Steve Coyle.

By Steve Coyle
Guest Writer

Much anticipated repairs to the Conklin Bay boardwalk were recently finished by replacing railing boards. Since the boardwalk is a major trails system attraction, the broken boards were quite noticeable to trail users. Syracuse-Wawasee Trails Committee partnered with Syracuse based Fawley & Sons, Inc. to complete the effort. 

“The plastic railing boards pulled away because the material expands and contracts due to temperature swings” stated Steve Coyle, committee project lead, who identified best practices for attaching plastic boards. “Pre-drilling holes and using washers allow the boards to move during the four seasons.”

“Fawley & Sons took the new specifications to a higher level,” Coyle explained. “Instead of just enlarging holes they slotted them to allow lateral movement. They also improved existing expansion joints installed at major failure areas and even custom built a narrow work bench that allowed walkers to pass by safely.”

Committee Chair Kay Young said she was pleased with the excellent results and how quickly work was completed. “I hope that future repairs are minimal but we’ll look to great companies such as Fawley’s who happen to be located across from the boardwalk and enjoy the trails. It was nice for the crew to hear passerby’s thanking us for working hard to maintain the trails!”

The Syracuse-Wawasee Trail Committee, part of the Syracuse-Wawasee Parks Foundation, a not for profit corporation, coordinates the planning, construction and maintenance of the local trails system.  Their current emphasis is on “Wawasee South” extending trails along SR13 to Wawasee Middle School and possibly connecting with North Webster in the future. If you have questions about the Trails, boardwalk or repairs, call (574) 675-6433.