A sign marks the way along the Willapa Hills trail outside of Chehalis.
A jogger crosses a bridge across the Chehalis river on the Willapa Hills trail outside of Chehalis.
The Willapa Hills trail outside of Chehalis.
The Willapa Hills trail outside of Chehalis.
The nonprofit Lewis County Community Trails is applying for two Washington Department of Transportation grants that would fund a pedestrian bridge over the Skookumchuck River and asphalt on the Airport Levee Trail.
Community Trails Board President Steve Ward said the two grant applications are due by June 30 and could lead to grants worth nearly $500,000 each.
The WSDOT will release a priority list Dec. 15 that will outline how much grant money Community Trails will receive compared to other bike and pedestrian programs in the state.
The award announcement will be in June next year, Ward said.
The proposed bridge over the Skookumchuck would connect the Fort Borst Park trail system and the Airport Trail system. The bridge would be located 500 feet downstream from the Interstate 5 bridge near mile marker 82 in Centralia.
The added asphalt to the Airport Levee Trail would cover the existing gravel on the trail.
Ward said while Community Trails focuses on the grant opportunities, they continue to look forward to connecting an entire network of trails in Lewis County.
The current trails in the county are Discovery Trail, Borst Park Trail, Seminary Hill Natural Area, Airport Levee Trail, Willapa Hills Trail, Stan Hedwall Park and the walking trail at Rotary Riverside Park.
Ward said all the trails are disconnected and in the future he hopes to create a direct north to south connection.
“There is no way to get north and south without fighting cars,” Ward said. “Within three to four years, we could have that north and south connector.”
Community Trails also has a vision to connect with the Willapa Hills Trail, commonly known as Rails to Trails. This would let people travel from Centralia to Pe Ell.
“Once we make a connection with Willapa Trail, people will come from all over,” Ward said.
Lewis County Community Trails formed in 2006 to work with city and state agencies, local business owners, chambers of commerce and local citizens to create a linked trail system and more places for health activity.
