PORT ANGELES — Clallam County will receive $3.75 million to help plan and design seven trail segments that are part of the Olympic Discovery Trail.
Clallam County public works deputy director for utilities and waste Steve Gray says the funding is part of $16.13 million in federal funds distributed by the state Department of Transportation (DOT) for the Puget Sound to Pacific trail project. That trail, being planned through a number of counties, municipalities and tribes, will eventually link from ferry terminals in Kitsap County to the ocean.
“This is a 16.1 million dollar grants Federal raise grants. The project name is the Puget Sound to Pacific Multi-Use Trail. The reason for that is it’s including besides us (Clallam County). twelve other jurisdictions, counties, tribes and cities are amongst those. We have of the 34 projects seven of them are in Clallam, five gaps and then two bridge studies going on,” Gray told county commissioners this week.
The county will need to produce matching dollars for the funds. It will specifically cover segments including the Bogachiel River crossing, Bagley Creek bridge replacement, and a few other gaps. The county plans to use an in-house planner for the work and not hire a consultant.
The grant will be finalized once all parties, including the Federal Highway Administration, have signed the agreement. The funding is available until 2032, but county officials aim to complete their portion well before then.