Eleven Bridges, Ten Miles of Track

The Port of Chehalis owns 10 miles of track that ends at an industrial park in Curtis. Currently the line is leased to the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad and Museum for use by its steam train excursions.

Over that 10-mile line there are eleven bridges, all made of wood. Critters eat wood, so it's imperative that the bridges are checked regularly for rotted timbers etc. This article from the Lewis County Chronicle describes the recent inspection done on the line and efforts Chehalis is taking to keep the railroad active and safe.

A side effect to all of this is that Chehalis is keeping a piece of America's history alive. Each day several miles of rail is abandoned somewhere in the United States; finding ways to keep rails in the ground - in my opinion a big resource - is going to be important as our roads get more and more congested.