Chipman Trail has new bridge set in place

PULLMAN - Commissioner Art Swannack said that the Bill Chipman Trail bridge was set in place during the morning of Wednesday, March 27.

"There is still more work to be done to get the bridge and trail ready for public use," Swannack said, "The final paving over the bridge, will have to wait for warmer weather."

Swannack said that the bridge is in place, and now they just have to wait for local asphalt supply plants to start operating.

Public Works Director Mark Storey told commissioners on Monday, April 1, that he wasn't there for the setting of the bridge but he planned to go take a look at it that day.

Storey told commissioners that the department is working through how to put an asphalt surface on but no asphalt plants are open due to nighttime temperatures still being too cold. "We don't have a date yet for completion," Storey said, "We're going to try and get it done quickly as we can."

Storey said that the earliest they would be able to get it done would probably be next week, which would depend on if asphalt plants opened their doors for business.

At this point, Storey reported to commissioners, they are currently wrestling with the fact that Department of Transportation has closed the lane on the State Highway 272. "We're going to work through some of those issues this week and probably get it on the end of the week," he said.

Storey said the bridge is not ready for traffic yet, because there is still a week's worth of cleanup to do.

"Even thought it's a pedestrian bridge, we basically ordered it to be able to handle ambulances, fire trucks and pickups," Storey said, "We need that structural hot mix."

The Chipman Trail Bridge, located a mile-and-a-half on the trail leaving Pullman toward Moscow, was destroyed by a fire Aug. 19, 2023. Two boys, ages 13 and 14, both of Moscow, were accused of setting the fire.