Construction underway to connect Chehalis Western Trail
Construction of a crossing that will connect the south and north portions of the Chehalis Western Trail beneath active railroad tracks began Monday. Part of the trail will be closed during construction, which is expected to take about a month.
Thurston County is working with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad on the project. Due to restrictions around train schedules, work is scheduled to begin around 5 a.m. throughout construction.
The county expects the trail will be closed during construction from Rainier Road Southeast north of Talcott Ridge Drive Southeast to 67th Avenue Southeast, with no alternate routes available. A dirt road that runs along the tracks north of the Rainier Road trestle will be closed to the public once this project is complete, according to the county’s web page on the project.
The project is estimated to cost $1.7 million from park fees and Real Estate Excise Tax, according to the county.
The county owns 22 miles of the Chehalis Western Trail, which runs north-to-south through Thurston County and intersects with the 14.5-mile Yelm-Tenino Trail, according to the county’s website.
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