An 18-mile loop trail will give bikers, pedestrians a new way to explore Pierce County
Trail users will have better access to Edgewood in the next few years.
ForeverGreen Trails, a nonprofit organization, is hosting an online fundraiser to help complete the city’s Interurban Trail. The goal is to raise $10,000. Over $6,000 or about 62 percent of the goal has been reached as of Thursday, June 29.
The money will help with the overall cost to fill in a one-mile gap in the trail. The gap starts from the trailhead at 20 114th Ave. E. and ends near Jovita Boulevard East and West Valley Highway East.
The project costs about $7.2 million. It will be paid for by state grants, city funds and donations. ForeverGreen Trails Director Larry Leveen said getting through Jovita Canyon is “challenging” terrain, which is one of the major contributors to the cost.
The city wants to begin designing and planning next month, public works director Jeremy Metzler said. City staff will seek input from residents to help finalize the design. Construction is anticipated in late 2025.
Filling in the one-mile gap will offer an active option to travel from Sumner to Edgewood. It will also connect to other local trails such as the White River Trail and the Sumner Link Trail.
“It’s a really important project for a whole lot of reasons and for a whole lot of people,” Leveen said. “Plus, it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
When the one-mile gap is filled, it will be part of an 18-mile loop trail within Pierce and King counties. There are some parts of the loop trail in cities such as Milton and Sumner that have yet to be finished. The goal is to finish the trail by 2027.
Those interested in donating to the fund drive can do so at forevergreentrails.org/edgewood-interurban.
