Pierce - Fairfax Forest Reserve Rd E

Fairfax Forest Reserve Road is the sole access to Mt. Rainier National Park’s Carbon River entrance and to the Clearwater Wilderness of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The route is a hiking, camping, cycling, and day-use destination for 25K+ vehicle visits per year. The roadway is prone to landslides and washouts which are exacerbated by a lack of adequate culvert size and frequency. Steep slopes in areas with little or no shoulder pose roadside hazards for drivers. Additionally, sedimentation from landslides and a fish barrier created by an existing culvert have adverse impacts on listed salmon species in the adjacent Carbon River. In 2016 the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) provided funding to resurface the road and repair the culverts.

The Tolmie Creek bridge (BR 5177-A) is within the project limits. The bridge deck has multiple areas of scaling/delamination, and the concrete traffic barriers are spalling and significantly degraded. Support posts, stringers, and caps require replacement, and all steel elements should be repainted. In 2018 FLAP provided funding for this bridge rehabilitation.

This RAP application seeks funding to match the 2016 and 2018 FLAP awards.