The Willapa Hills trail outside of Chehalis.
After years of work, several bridges connecting the 56-mile Willapa Hills State Park Trail from Chehalis to Pacific County are complete.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has scheduled a public dedication event for 10 a.m. June 18 at the Adna Trailhead, 5 miles west of Chehalis.
The event will include speakers including parks commissioners, project partners, Lewis County Trails, the Washington State Parks Foundation and Boeing.
After the presentation, people will be invited to take a trip on the trail either by foot or bike to visit three of the four newly completed bridges.
Four newly completed bridges will be celebrated June 18.
On Bridge 5, about 5 miles west of Chehalis, State Parks replaced decking and rails on the steel and wood-framed bridge. The total cost was $550,000, funded by grants from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program.
On Spooner Bridge, 6 miles west of Chehalis, railroad trestles destroyed in the 2007 flood were replaced. The project cost $2.3 million, paid for by Federal Emergency Management Agency funds.
Dryad Bridge, 16 miles west of Chehalis, was also destroyed in the 2007 flood. The bridge was replaced with a steel truss bridge with a concrete deck.
The last structure, Bridge 27, was repaired with $62,000 in capital state dollars, $100,000 from a donation from Boeing and a $40,000 donation by Lewis County Community Trails. Bridge 27 is not yet easily accessible, according to state parks.
The Willapa Hills Trail winds along the former footprint and over historic bridges of the Northern Pacific Railway line. It travels through agricultural and forest landscapes.
The Willapa Hills line was a spur from the main rail line that provided access to timber and mining areas, according to State Parks.
The rail route was abandoned in 1990. The State Parks commission acquired the right-of-way for use as a trail in 1993.
On the following Saturday, June 25, the Fat Tire Ride and Festival is scheduled to take place on the trail between Chehalis and Pe Ell.
For more information on the Fat Tire Ride, go to www.ridethewillapa.com.
