It’s an idea that keeps coming back.
Commissioners from three counties plan to ask the state to study the feasibility of building a road linking Spirit Lake Memorial Highway and U.S. 12, a route that would more directly connect Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier.
Unlike previous proposals to link the two signature volcanoes, this one would largely avoid the federally designated 110,000-acre Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. It would start just west of the Coldwater Lake Ridge Visitor Center, cut north near the “high lakes” area, drop down across the Green River and continue eastward along the south shore of Riffe Lake and Taidnapam Park and finally to Glenoma in Lewis County.
Commissioners from Cowlitz, Lewis and Skamania counties were to bring a concept map and the request for a feasibility study to the County Leaders Conference in Tacoma on Tuesday. It would be the first feasibility study on the matter in 20 years.
“I’m excited about creating a beautiful drive … and opening up favorite hunting land,” Cowlitz County Commissioner Dennis Weber said. “This is an opportunity for more people to enjoy that beautiful scenic area.”
It is not the first time paving a road between the two volcanoes has been discussed. But previous plans have been rejected as too costly, too risky or too disruptive to the monument, which was created in 1982 for research, recreation and education. The U.S. Forest Service itself, which manages the monument, and conservationists also opposed those plans.
Currently, it is possible to drive from Mount Rainier and directly link up to the east side of the Mount St. Helens by taking Forest Road 25 south from Randle. But there is no direct way to access the west side of the volcano at Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, where the Johnston Ridge and other major visitor centers are located.
The route proposed by Weber would cut the distance from 150 miles to between 20 and 30 miles. The route crosses a good deal of Weyerhaeuser Co. and other private timber company land near the border of Cowlitz, Lewis and Skamania counties. Weber said the commissioners want to decide on a route before approaching landowners about acquisitions.
There is no current cost estimates for constructing the road, but the high-elevation route would be costly to build and maintain.
The proposal qualifies for funding from the Federal Land Access Program, which helps fund roadways that connect federal facilities. Weber said it is not yet clear where the rest of the money would come from, though the state would contribute, too.
Weber said adding the road could bring much-needed jobs to Lewis and Cowlitz counties, along with extra revenue from tourists.
He also said the extension could help Washington vacationers add Mount St. Helens to their trips without the extra time and expense associated with the long route.
