Connecting Trails and Wildlife Across Highway 18

by Doug McClelland and Hannah Wheeler

Recently, the Washington State Legislature approved funding to widen Highway 18 over Tiger Mountain from Hobart Road to Raging River. The widening of the highway to five lanes will increase safety and reduce traffic before the I-90 interchange, which is also set to be improved starting in 2021.

However, widening the road also raises concern for safe recreational and wildlife passage over the road, especially given the proximity of the construction to trails on Tiger Mountain. To address these concerns, on a sunny day, Washington State Representative Bill Ramos met with advocacy leaders from the Issaquah Alps Trails Club, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, Sierra Club, and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance to learn what needs to be done in order to allow safe wildlife and recreational trail crossings across the new five lane highway.

Read the Issaquah Reporter Story about the project here.

Representative Bill Ramos meets with the Issaquah Alps Trails Club, the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, Sierra Club, and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance to learn what we must do to allow safe wildlife and recreational trail crossings as Highway 18 is widened to five lanes.