Thurston County, Washington

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Thurston County Washington

Chehalis Western Trail Closure Postponed

July 16, 2021

Contact:

​April Leigh, Public Works Education & Outreach Supervisor (360) 867-2375 or april.leigh@co.thurston.wa.us 

OLYMPIA – Plans to temporarily close approximately 1.5 miles of the Chehalis Western Trail (CWT) in East Thurston County have been postponed until later this month.

Staff working to complete a new 88-foot trail bridge and overlook above Spurgeon Creek, along with trail improvements near the project area, will announce a new closure date later this month.

“The original start date at the site was July 14. However, after meeting with the contractor, we have coordinated to begin staging next week. That means the trail will stay open until at least July 25,” said Project Manager Marcus Storvick.

Trail signs announcing the closure have been removed from the area and will be replaced when a new date is determined. The information will also be posted on the county website and social media platforms.

“We try to avoid closures along the trail during summer months. However, this project requires in-water work where spawning fish are present in the fall. That means we have a limited window to complete construction this summer,” said Project Manager Marcus Storvick.

The new bridge and overlook are part of a larger Thurston County Fish Passage Enhancement project. The trail closure, between 89th Ave. SE and north of 103rd Ave. SE, is required to complete the work. Signage will be posted at 103rd Ave. indicating the closure of the trail. 

In addition to improvements along the CWT, the project includes a new 57-foot bridge over nearby Latigo Street SE and streambed enhancements to improve fish passage. When complete, the project will replace four fish-blocking culverts and open an additional mile of upstream habitat to spawning fish in Spurgeon Creek, a tributary of the Deschutes River.

The $2 million project is funded by a $1.7 million grant from the Washington State Conservation Office Brian Abbot Fish Barrier Removal Board and $300 thousand in local Real Estate Excise Taxes (REET).

For more information about the project visit the Latigo St. at Spurgeon Creek and Chehalis Western Trail project page.

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Board of County Commissioners
Press Release