The final phase of multi-year collaborative project revamp and improve accessibility along the Spruce Railroad Trail at Lake Crescent is scheduled to begin in early March and be completed by November 2020, Olympic National Park officials said last week.

With several pieces of heavy equipment in use during this phase, the entire four-mile trail along Lake Crescent will be closed to all use for public safety, park officials said.

Upcoming work includes restoration of the Daley Rankin Tunnel, rockfall mitigation, retaining wall construction and finishing remaining trail improvements.

Paving the length of the trail and the Lyre River Trailhead parking area will complete the project.

The improvements are part of a project to establish the entire 10-mile length of the trail as a 12-foot-wide, universally accessible, multipurpose trail to be shared by hikers, bicyclists, equestrians and people traveling in wheelchairs.

The Spruce Railroad Trail follows the historic railroad grade of the Spruce Railroad, built in 1918 and abandoned in 1951. When the project is completed in fall 2020 it will become a signature piece of the 134-mile long Olympic Discovery Trail that will eventually connect Port Townsend to La Push—Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean.

Limited access

During construction, East Beach Road will be closed to the public at the intersection with Joyce-Piedmont Road. Camp David Jr. Road will be closed to the public beyond the North Shore Picnic Area.

Devil’s Punchbowl will only be accessible by boat until this final phase is complete.

The westbound portion of the Olympic Discovery Trail and Pyramid Peak Trail will remain accessible from the North Shore Picnic Area on Camp David Jr. Road.

“We understand visitors will miss getting out on the trail while it is under construction and we look forward to its reopening and the creation of nearly ten miles of universally accessible trail,” Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum said.

“This would not have been possible without the continued collaboration with Clallam County and the Federal Highway Administration.”

Trail improvement funding

The $5 million contract for this final phase was recently awarded to Bruch & Bruch Construction of Port Angeles.

Clallam County and Olympic National Park are jointly funding the project. The park received about $1 million for this contract through the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013 which provides cost-sharing funds to the National Park Service (NPS) to improve infrastructure. Clallam County is funding the remainder of the contract.

Federal Highway Administration staff provide construction management and general contract oversight.

Restoration of the 450-foot long McFee Tunnel was completed in summer 2017. Previous contracts also included bank stabilization, culvert installation, and demolition and removal of a park-owned structure to allow for construction of a new 33-car parking lot at the Lyre River Trailhead with additional parking for oversized vehicles and a horse trailer turn-around.

For current trail, road and travel information, visitors should consult the park website at www.nps.gov/olym or call the recorded Road and Weather Hotline at 360-565-3131.