Bobcat Compact Track Loaders Grade Recreational Trails Near Atlanta, Georgia

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“Bobcat loaders are ideal for grading trails,” says Lewallen Construction General Manager Bob Uhlenhoff. “Especially the track loaders, because they don’t get stuck.” (Photo courtesy of Bobcat.)

Larry and Peggy Lewallen have steered their construction company through tough times by making good business decisions and staying a step ahead of the competition. One example is their investment in Bobcat track skid steers, which the Marietta, Georgia, contractor is using to build a new hiking and biking trail in an Atlanta suburb.

“Bobcat loaders are ideal for grading trails,” says Lewallen Construction General Manager Bob Uhlenhoff. “Especially the track loaders, because they don’t get stuck. The loaders are the bread and butter for our company.”

Bridging The Trail Systems

The Peachtree Creek Greenway trail is currently under construction in Brookhaven, Georgia. With several bridges allowing pedestrians and bikers to cross the Creek, the route will connect Brookhaven to Atlanta’s hundreds of miles of recreational trails. Lewallen Construction is no stranger to this sort of work, having built roughly 350 miles of similar trails in the Atlanta metro.

That being said, the Peachtree Creek Greenway trail, with its bridges and retaining walls, is their most complicated so far. Bobcat track loaders such as a T650 help to keep the project moving forward.

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Lewallen Construction has built roughly 350 miles of trails in the Atlanta metro, grading nearly all of them with Bobcat loaders. (Photo courtesy of Bobcat.)

“When you’re working on a mile-and-a-half linear project like a trail, there can be crews simultaneously working on numerous places,” says Peggy Lewallen. “So to be efficient, every crew needs a Bobcat loader.”

Larry and Peggy founded Lewallen Construction in 1984. Larry put his experience with concrete and the construction of water parks to work on residential foundations. Later he started to land municipal projects, such as retaining walls and recreational trails. Now with 125 employees, Lewallen Construction pours an average of approximately 40,000 cubic yards (30,600 cubic meters) of concrete and 500,000 square feet (46,450 square meters) of concrete walls every year.

Bobcat’s Track Skid Steers

The models in Bobcat’s family of compact track loaders range from the T450 to the T870. They include the new R-Series T62, T64, T66, and T76 models with a direct-drive system and durability upgrades.

Powered by Tier 4 engines of 61.1 to 100 horsepower (45.5 to 75 kilowatts), Bobcat loaders provide 1,400 to 3,650 pounds (635 to 1,656 kilograms) of rated operating capacity. Their operating weights range from 6,148 to 12,925 lbs (2,789 to 5,863 kg), and their bucket hinge pin heights can reach 109.5 to 145 inches (2,781 to 3,683 millimeters) from the ground.

Source: Bobcat