A floating boardwalk is planned to allow people to walk across Pickerel Pond to the opposite bank.

Work is scheduled to begin late August with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30.

The bridge will be located at the Pickerel Pond/Sunkaway Conservation and will connect the Oakdale and Wethersfield neighborhoods.

The floating bridge is 195 feet long and nearly five feet wide with handrails on both sides, giving plenty of space to walk safely.

The bridge features high-density EZ Dock floating panels that rest on top of the water, strong aluminum safety handrails, and wooden stairs anchored into the hillside.

Heavy 200-pound pyramid anchors rest point down on the muddy pond bottom. They keep the boardwalk steady while allowing it to gently rise and fall when rain changes the water level.

Floating on top of the water means construction won’t disturb wildlife habitats or disturb vegetation root systems in the pond.

More than 180 new native plants including lowbush blueberries, sweet pepperbush, and dogwood will be planted to restore disturbed areas and provide habitat for local wildlife.

Walking the bridge will provide a front-row view of beaver lodges and wetland trees such as Atlantic White Cedar.

The work is paid for by a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and existing mitigation funds. Choosing a floating boardwalk saved taxpayers more than $200,000 compared to building a heavy wooden bridge.