6/2/2011
Contractor gets rolling on first part of Chelatchie Rail with Trail project
Vancouver, WA – Construction has started on the first segment the 33-mile Chelatchie Prairie Rail with Trail project.
The initial one-mile segment will run from the entrance road inside Battle Ground Lake State Park southwest along the county-owned railroad tracks to Washington State Department of Natural Resources land. The new trail will be 10 feet wide and paved.
The Board of Clark County Commissioners in April awarded a $406,800 contract to NW Construction General Contracting Inc. of Battle Ground. The contract includes clearing, excavation and grading, concrete and asphalt paving, erosion control, signing, landscaping and other work.
When that work is completed, local equestrian and hiking groups plan to use volunteers to build an adjacent soft surface trail. The trail will open to the public later this year, after volunteers have finished their work.
Total cost for this first segment, including design, land, construction and inspection, is $728,600, including state, federal and county funding.
Clark County originally planned to build a 2.8-mile trail, connecting Battle Ground Lake State Park with Fairgrounds Park in Battle Ground. However, wetlands, steep slopes and sensitive wildlife habitat made that project more expensive than originally estimated, so it has been scaled back to stay within the original budget.
County officials will continue to apply for grants, pursue partnerships and explore ways to build future sections of the entire 33-mile trail. The Chelatchie Prairie Rail with Trail Corridor Study was approved by the county in 2008 after extensive public input. The planned trail will improve pedestrian safety and enhance recreation.
For more information, visit the Chelatchie Rail with Trail’s project website: www.clark.wa.gov/publicworks/chelatchie/index.html.
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