As seen in a recent Manteca Bulletin article, the importance of active recreational opportunities is not an afterthought at River Islands, but rather a critical planning factor. At completion, the community will boast an 18.5 mile, 20 foot wide bike path/pedestrian trail atop super levees that will encircle the entire development. The original plans for the trail would have required users to cross what will become a four-lane road with heavy traffic. Instead, the development opted to construct a bridge to carry trail users across this road. This bridge, titled Bradshaw Crossing, is the first new bridge constructed to cross the San Joaquin River within the County in over 40 years. At the greenbelts completion, bicyclists and pedestrians will only be required to cross one street to do a complete circle of the trail. This greenbelt park will be the longest uninterrupted bike trail in the Central Valley and will provide unmatched public access to the San Joaquin River. In addition, River Islands is looking to utilize older levees in future phases to provide increased flood protection, as well as the potential for additional greenbelt parks to further accommodate active recreation.

River Islands at Lathrop is a very special project to the O’Dell team. As strong advocates for the benefits of recreation, play, and open space in society, we truly treasure the opportunity to be involved in such a progressive project. This state of the art development encompasses many revolutionary facets, the cornerstone of which being their commitment to the environment and the residents and visitors alike who will interact with it.

The River Islands project is a 4,905 acre master planned community in Lathrop, CA. Ultimate build-out of this community will be comprised of 11,000 dwelling units, five million s.f. of commercial and office space, and nine schools connected by a network of lakes, parks, trails, and open spaces. 300’ wide levees along the San Joaquin River, designed for 200 year flood events, were the result of extensive cooperation and coordination between the Army Corp of Engineers, the City of Lathrop, and other stakeholders. The development team is also working to create an eco-sensitive environment through a 900 acre area reserved for habitat restoration and flood control.

O’Dell Engineering is currently providing services including infrastructure study, utility master plans, feasibility analysis, construction documents, topographic and boundary surveying, mapping, legal descriptions, construction staking, park and trail design, recreation facility design, site planning, playground inspection, arborist consulting, and utility coordination services.

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