First phase of Rails to Trails project completed
Besides a few final fixes, the trail is done between Combs Flat Road, Juniper Street
The first portion of the Rails to Trails project is finally complete, pending some last-minute fixes to the paved pathway.
The project, several years in the making, is converting the old railway easement from North Main Street to Combs Flat Road to a paved trail for pedestrian and bicycle use. The city originally landed a Rails to Trails grant through Oregon Department of Transportation in 2018, but the various issues delayed the project until late last year.
Work began in December to construct the trail system between Juniper Street and Combs Flat Road. Where the trail crosses Third Street, the city added an enhanced pedestrian crossing, similar to the one found on Lynn Boulevard near Crook County High School, and a center refuge island. The refuge island is meant to help people more easily cross the 56-foot-wide section of Third Street.