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Port of Kalama asks Cowlitz County for path-and-trail funding for Kalama Crossing overpass
Summary
The Port of Kalama sought county support from a path-and-trail fund to help cover a funding gap on the $12 million Kalama Crossing pedestrian overpass, which would replace a 1970s structure that is not ADA-compliant and improve a waterfront-to-downtown connection. The board signaled support and asked staff to draft an agreement for future action.
Eric from the Port of Kalama presented the Kalama Crossing pedestrian overpass project, a proposal to replace a 1970s-era structure with an ADA-compliant overpass (elevators on both sides and switchback ramps) that would shorten pedestrian travel between downtown Kalama and the Columbia River waterfront from roughly 2 miles to 0.2 miles.
Eric said the project now carries a roughly $12 million construction estimate after rising costs that increased the budget about $5 million since the project was first proposed; the Port has a $2.25 million state appropriation toward the work. The Port emphasized pedestrian safety (the current route crosses industrial roads with heavy truck traffic and inadequate sidewalks), the economic opportunity of connecting waterfront visitors to downtown businesses, and added parking capacity (about 110 spaces) on the east side of the railroad tracks.
The Port cited visitor data derived from a cell-phone analytics service (Placer AI) showing about 700,000 visits to the waterfront area in the past 12 months and suggested the overpass would unlock more downtown spending from cruise passengers and other visitors. Commissioners asked technical and cost questions about construction, rail coordination, and pedestrian flows. Sean (Public Works) told the board the county can offer up to about $800,000 from an uncommitted path-and-trail fund (a motor-vehicle-fuel-tax shave-off plus accumulated interest) and that an agreement to allocate funds and conditions would be brought back to the board.
What happens next: staff will prepare a funding agreement for board review; bids were reported as due Dec. 1 with construction expected to begin in January 2026 pending contract awards and permitting.
