The Snoqualmie Tunnel, a 2.3-mile section of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail through the Cascades, opened July 5 for the first time since 2009.
The tunnel was closed in January 2009 for repairs after chunks of concrete started falling from the ceiling. Now, the damaged portions of the tunnel have been repaired with a new 4-inch layer of concrete sprayed on a welded wire fabric lining its walls and ceiling, and a smooth, new walking surface of crushed rock. Repairs cost a little less than $700,000 and took about 11 months.
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About 200,000 people a year enjoy the trail, including the tunnel, Schmidt said. Four tunnels to the east of it remain closed but can be bypassed on trails. The tunnel also is an important access to a regional trails system in the 1.5-million-acre Mountains to Sound Greenway.
We wrote previously about the tunnel and some fun getaway options it opens up this summer. Be sure to check out the great suggestions in the comments (and add your own if you have any).
Comments
5 responses to “Times: 2.3-mile Snoqualmie Tunnel opens with fanfare”
Terrific!! Finally, the West has been reconnected with the East once again.
HOO RAY !
Well worth a trip up from North Bend, a pleasant ride with a special treat at the end. Return without pedaling for many miles.
After you’ve passed through the tunnel you’ll reach a area w/”facilities” and picnic benches. Alternatively there are benches just before the W entrance of the tunnel itself.
Good lights are a must; you’ll get a new appreciation for how much your eyes rely on ambient light at night. There’s –no– free light in the tunnel… last time we went through we helped a party of pedestrians who were feeling their way long the wall, midway.
Here are some fresh tips.
We rode the trail up and back from North Bend yesterday. The tunnel floor has been resurfaced with what I’m guessing is pit run. The floor has a crown and is generally smoother than before, though it’s already developed some proto-potholes. However, the margins of the path closer to the wall are soft, meaning bike wheels will dig in and tend to throw a rider one direction or the other, including into the wall. Best to stay in the middle 3/5ths of the path and if you have to get close to the sides to give way, be extra cautious.
Also, the fines in the pit run have not sorted themselves out and the tunnel floor is wet, so if you don’t have fenders be prepared to to get really filthy.
Families with younger children will be glad to learn that the last sections of trail (near the rock-climbing areas )with vertical drops on both sides have been protected with sturdy fencing.
[…] years after reopening the 2.3-mile Snoqualmie Tunnel on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail, contractors are now working on reopening two more of the four […]