Annual inspections of our community’s beloved Railroad Bridge in Railroad Bridge Park, beside the Dungeness River Nature Center, have revealed that the wooden Howe Truss is deteriorating. The most recent bridge inspection report highlighted the need for more immediate action to ensure the bridge remains safe and open to the public.

After examining options, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Council have decided that replacing the truss with a steel structure is the only viable path forward. This decision is supported by the Dungeness River Nature Center Board of Directors and the Peninsula Trails Coalition.

A new steel structure will extend safe passage over the Dungeness River while removing the deteriorating, creosote-laden timbers of the historic, 100-year-old-plus Howe Truss.

In a perfect world, the wooden portion of the bridge would last forever. Unfortunately, replacing the wooden Howe Truss with a steel replica is the only cost-effective option that still preserves the bridge’s character, while also improving safety and minimizing the duration/frequency of closures on this popular section of the Olympic Discovery Trail.

“The Railroad Bridge is a beloved part of our local and Tribal community, but due to public safety, it needs to be replaced,” said W. Ron Allen, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Chairman and CEO.

“We plan to honor the historical symbolism with a new structure that reflects the current design and will keep park and trail users safe for our future generations.”

The Tribe took ownership of the bridge and the 75-acre park in 1993 when no other entity was interested in assuming that responsibility. More recently, the Tribe replaced nearly 800 feet of the bridge’s west side trestle after flood waters in February of 2015 damaged the bridge, resulting in a nine-month closure, and in 2022 the east section was improved to make the Olympic Discovery Trail safe for all users and compliment the upgrad­ed Dungeness River Nature Center.

More details on project timing and the capital funding campaign will be shared as they become available.

Learn more and find answers to frequently asked questions here.

You can donate to the Railroad Bridge Capital Project here.