Trail Builders
The Trail Builders Fund was created to provide essential community-based funding to projects related to the completion and enhancement of Spokane's Centennial Trail. At present, significant gaps exist which inhibit the safety and cohesiveness of Trail travel for its estimated 2 million users. Your tax-deductible donations will help complete the following projects:
1. The creation of two Mission Park Underpasses: To facilitate a safer crossing at the Mission Street intersection, an underpass would be constructed. It would provide a much safer outlet along Upriver Drive. A second underpass would be constructed under the railroad line located inside Mission Park. Together, these two underpasses would "connect" the entire Park, while also providing much safer transportation routes for children using the new Mission Park Pool. To view a 3-D movie representation of the proposed underpasses, please click here.
2. Building a connecting route from Riverfront Park to the West Central Neighborhood: The Trail would run through Riverfront Park to the runners statues, then across the Post Street Bridge through Veterans Park to under the Monroe Street Bridge, to eventually go through the Kendall Yards development into the West Central Neighborhood. This vital "northwest connector" route into downtown Spokane would be widely used for both recreational and get-to-work commuting.
3. Trail construction from the west end of Kendall Yards to Boone Avenue/Summit Blvd: From the westernmost border of the Kendall Yards heading north, the Trail would descend approximately 50 feet to an abandoned railroad grade paralleling Summit Boulevard. From the end of the rail line, the Trail would then turn due north, traversing gently up the hillside toward the intersection of Summit Boulevard and Boone Avenue.
4. Filling the gap from Boone Avenue/Summit to the T.J. Meenach Bridge: Following Summit Blvd to Pettet Drive, then turning north onto Pettet Drive at Doomsday Hill, is the opportunity to create an on-road bike route that would be improved with signage, striping and traffic-calming elements included on Summit, Mission and West Point avenues to Pettet Drive. Sidewalks would be improved throughout this segment. From West Point north to the viewpoint, an off road multi-use trail would be built on the west side of Pettet Drive. North of the viewpoint, the roadway surface would be rearranged to provide for a 14-foot multi-use trail on the west side of the roadway. The Trail would continue downhill along Pettet Drive to the T.J. Meenach Bridge.
5. The realignment of the Trail from Upriver Drive to Maringo Drive: Following the Trail east from Boulder Beach, the Trail moves onto the shoulder of Upriver Drive for approximately five blocks. Here, the Trail would be re-routed to head north along Maringo Drive for approximately 3/4 mile. At the Argonne Bridge, the Trail would go underneath the new Argonne Bridge (space has been provided for this routing during the bridge rebuild). The Trail would move back up to Maringo Drive, and continue heading east to the Maringo Trailhead. This rerouting would eliminate approximately 2 miles of the Trail route away from busy arterial streets.
Additional state, county and privately funded projects that the Friends of the Centennial Trail have supported and been active in moving forward:
1. A Trail extension from Nine Mile to Long Lake (Lake Spokane): This project would be an approximate 1.5 mile extension to the Trail. It would begin just north of Sontag Park, and run through a beautiful wooded area, ending at the Nine Mile Resort lakeshore.
2. Gateway Park: Near the Trail's Washington/Idaho border, Spokane County is working on a realignment of the Trail. This realignment would consist of moving the Trail under a new bridge that is going to be constructed on East Appleway Lane. The County also has applied for grants to realign the Trail closer to the river and rejoin the current Trail alignment just past the current visitors bureau.
PLEASE NOTE: All these projects are in the initial conceptual phase. Completion of these projects will require all appropriate local, state, and federal planning, permitting and funding as needed.