The National Park Service came to us with a deceptively complex brief: a 900-foot boardwalk through a Louisiana wetland ecosystem, terminating at a dedicated duck viewing platform. The site in Marksville presented the kind of ground conditions that rule out most conventional construction methods — soft, saturated soil, seasonal water level variation, and a protected wildlife habitat that couldn't be disrupted by heavy equipment staging.

Mark and Marshall assessed the site together in the early planning phase. The full length of the boardwalk meant working in sections, moving the build zone forward as each span was completed. Load requirements were set by the NPS at 90 PSF — higher than a standard pedestrian walk — to account for dense visitor traffic during peak migration viewing periods.

Southern Yellow Pine was selected throughout: pressure-treated to AWPA UC4B standards for ground-contact and freshwater immersion. The 8-foot deck width accommodates two-way foot traffic and ADA-compliant access, with open-slat decking to manage water drainage and reduce wind load on the structure.

The project was completed in approximately two months, in Spring 2024. The duck viewing platform at the terminal end features a widened deck, integrated benches, and orientation panels — designed to the NPS interpretive signage standards. The boardwalk has since become one of the most-visited seasonal wildlife viewing sites in the region.