City wins award for work on Cushman Trail from American Public Works Association WA chapter

Anyone living in or visiting Gig Harbor quickly becomes familiar with the Cushman Trail, the more than six-mile trail that stretches from the Narrows Bridge to Borgen Boulevard, offering a safe place for pedestrians and bicyclists to exercise.

The trail and the ongoing extension project has also gained notice from outside Gig Harbor in earning the Project of the Year Award from the Washington State chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA). The award is from the APWA’s Environment category for projects costing less than $5 million.

“The Cushman Trail serves an area with three community parks, two schools and three of Gig Harbor’s main activity centers,” Steve Misiurak, Cushman Trail Project Engineer for the city, said in a prepared statement. “By creating a safe alternative to cars, the community has a link to shops, restaurants, and professional services.”

The award was directed to Phase three of the project, completed in April 2015, which stretches from 96th Street to Burnham Drive and features a 400-foot-long pin-pile bridge chosen to minimize impact to the underlying wetland in the area.

The Cushman Trail project continues, with a recent grant received by the city to study phase five of the trail, stretching from Burnham Drive to Purdy, and a trail spur that would extend to the downtown area, City Administrator Ron Williams said.

“We continue working on this trail. It’s be going on for a few years,” he said. “I’m very proud of our staff. They’re outstanding and they really care about the city and their jobs and they do their best to make the city and the citizens proud.”

The city will receive the award from the APWA Washington Chapter during the 2017 Spring Conference Project of the Year Award Banquet on April 27.

“This (award) shows that the Cushman Trail was worth the investment,” Mayor Jill Guernsey said in a release. “It is extremely popular to the community, regional leaders, environmental groups, health advocates and users of all ages and lifestyles.”

This story was originally published April 19, 2017 at 11:37 AM with the headline "City wins award for work on Cushman Trail from American Public Works Association WA chapter."