“Let’s get ‘er done,” former Enumclaw Mayor Liz Reynolds exclaimed as the construction on the Foothills Trail pedestrian bridge began in January 2023.

A year and a half later, in the words of former Buckley Mayor Pat Johnson, “Finally, the bridge is there.”

Construction might have only lasted a year-and-a-half, having started Jan. 18, 2023, but the plan to connect Enumclaw to Buckley via a trail bridge over the river took more than three decades of dreaming and planning, all for it to come to fruition due to the efforts of elected officials and volunteers from Enumclaw, Buckley, King County, Pierce County, and the Rails to Trails nonprofit.

Attending the Sept. 28 grand opening were dozens of locals excited to walk, run, and bike across the 572-foot-long, weathered steel bridge and several elected officials, including King County Deputy Executive Shannon Braddock, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn, Pierce County Councilmember Dave Morrell, Johnson, Enumclaw Councilmember Anthony Wright, and Rails to Trails Board President Dan Bucci.

“We’re just grateful to everyone who helped make this project an amazing success,” Braddock said. “I got to say, the turnaround time from groundbreaking last year to now — fantastic work by everybody involved.”

Johnson, who became Buckley’s mayor in 2008, extolled the bipartisanship of such a project over the years, even as different administrations came and went.

“I don’t know how how many meetings we had,” she said. “…We all became friends over a period of time, working together to get this bridge built.”

Johnson also touched on the fact that the bridge is an important link for emergency vehicles.

While St. Elizabeth Hospital in Enumclaw is the closest to Pierce County’s eastern-most city, the traffic bridge over the river was damaged in April 2015, necessitating a week closure that month and numerous weekend closures that coming November, December, and January. This forced first responders to consider other hospitalization options during those times, or to detour through Auburn to get to Enumclaw.

Other speakers saw the accomplishment as a way to bring more recreational activities to the Plateau, especially as rural areas tend to have less than more populated cities.

“This trail will make it easier to get where you got to go. With equity and accessibility, this project is particularly special because it addresses historical gaps in regional trail access; many in rural communities like we’re standing in right now, underserved areas, will now have improved access to outdoor spaces… trails like this are vital in creating equitable outdoor opportunities for all residents,” said Pierce County Councilmember Dave Morrell with his bike and decked out in his biking gear. “…This bridge will serve as a lasting symbol of what we can achieve through thoughtful investment in public spaces.”

With the completion of the bridge, the Foothills Trail is now 22 miles long, connecting Enumclaw to Buckley, South Prairie, Orting, and Puyallup.

While the bridge is complete, Enumclaw’s portion of the Foothills Trail leading up to the bridge is expected to be completed later this fall.