During its March 5 meeting, the North Bend City Council authorized a contract with RH2 Engineering to design a 1.1-mile trail extension connecting Tanner Trail to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.

The new 10-foot-wide asphalt trail, from the 42900 block of SE North Bend Way east to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, will replace the railroad right of way to improve pedestrian safety while facilitating user access to downtown businesses, according to the March 5 city council packet.

“We are always looking for interconnectivity with our trail system,” said North Bend Capital Projects and Grants Manager Dan Marcinko. “It allows folks to use something other than a vehicle and is safer for families to utilize as well.”

One of 40 projects listed in North Bend’s state-mandated 6-Year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), the Tanner Trail Extension Project was chosen as the highest priority for 2024.

The TIP identifies ways the city can improve and maintain its transportation infrastructure by prioritizing the needs of its citizens while using available funds.

The city secured a $158,087 Federal Highway Administration grant for the project in 2023, and has allocated $66,499 in Transportation Improvement Fee funds, which are collected through the gas tax.

RH2 Engineering, in working with the Washington State Department of Transportation, will provide project design, surveying, and permitting for the extension.

Their design is expected to be complete by the end of this calendar year, said Marcinko. Once finished, the city must secure construction grant funding from the state before initiating a project bid process.

Construction for the Tanner Trail extension is expected to start in 2025.