OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The most recent phase of work on the Spruce Railroad Trail is now complete and the trail is open.
Four miles of the trail along Lake Crescent were closed March 8 between the Camp David Jr. Road trailhead and the Lyre River trailhead. The work by Bruch & Bruch Construction of Port Angeles involved tree removal.
Erosion control measures are in place but trail users should be prepared for rough, muddy conditions, said Penny Wagner, Olympic National Park spokesperson.
The trail will remain open until the next phase of work, which is projected to begin in August.
Trees removed from sections of the trail, some complete with root wads, are used to preserve fish habitat in road damage repairs along rivers, Wagner said.
The removal of trees for this project to provide for visitor access was very selective and went through analysis to mitigate impacts to the environment, she added.
Logs from earlier tree removal operations on this project were used in park road repairs on Olympic Hot Springs Road, Graves Creek Road, and Quinault North Shore Road.
Trees removed during this phase will be used by Jefferson County for an upcoming project on Upper Hoh Road.
Upcoming work will include restoring the Daley Rankin Tunnel, rockfall mitigation, retaining wall construction and finishing the remaining trail improvements.
Paving the length of the trail and the Lyre River Trailhead parking area will occur in the final phase. Completion of the Spruce Railroad Trail project is anticipated by summer 2020.
The Spruce Railroad Trail improvements are part of a multi-year collaborative project to establish the entire 10-mile length of the trail as a universally accessible, multipurpose trail to be shared by hikers, bicyclists, equestrians and people traveling in wheelchairs.
Clallam County and Olympic National Park are jointly funding the project. Federal Highway Administration staff provide construction management and general contract oversight.
The Spruce Railroad Trail follows the historic railroad grade of the Spruce Railroad, built in 1918 and abandoned in 1951.
