Dry Creek Bridge will be replaced!

Hurrah!  The Sierra Nevada Conservancy has authorized the Great Shasta Rail Trail Association to begin work on replacing Dry Creek Bridge using grant funds.  The Conservancy’s grant will pay for engineering services, environmental compliance work, and the placement of a bridge to replace the failing structure that is currently in place.

Making the bridge useable will open another 24 miles of trail between Bartle Gap Trailhead and Clark Creek Road.  Opening the trail to Clark Creek Road will allow access to the trail via highway 89 or Clark Creek road, bypassing the (closed) Highway Overcrossing and Lake Britton Bridge.  Trail users will be able to go from the Burney Trailhead to Bartle Gap – a 44 mile run/walk/ride.  In addition, the new bridge structure will make possible the use of the trail by fire fighters to more quickly access parts of the adjacent forest should the need arise.

The need for this project was identified during the 2015-2016 inspection of the trail’s infrastructure.  As recommended by the consulting engineers, the bridge structure will be removed in its entirety and replaced with a pre-made bridge structure.  The use of a pre-made bridge will eliminate the need to form and pour tall concrete abutments and wing walls that a build-on-site bridge would require.

The Great Shasta Rail Trail Association Board of Directors is ready to get this project started.  We’ve begun work on requests for proposals (RFP) for engineering and environmental compliance work and will be sending them out soon.  Organizations interested in bidding on this work should send their request for the RFP to askus@greatshastarailtrail.org.

Funding for this project has been provided by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, an agency of the State of California, under the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018 (Proposition 68).

We are grateful to the Board of Directors of the Conservancy for their support of this important project.  Funding this project under their “Vibrant Recreation & Tourism” program recognizes the contribution that the Great Shasta Rail Trail makes to local communities whose residents benefit from the recreation opportunities offered and whose tourist-serving businesses benefit from the attraction of out-of-area outdoor recreationists.  We also owe thanks to the staff of the Conservancy who are working in very difficult conditions because of the corona virus pandemic.

Please send questions about the project to askus@greatshastarailtrail.org.