Workers building Tollgate Trail bridge

The trail between the Tollgate subdivision and Sisters High School took a giant leap forward this past week when high school students poured footings for a bridge over Trout Creek.

Four members of the Sisters High School Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition (IEE) class poured four concrete footings for the trail that will connect the school and Tollgate. They were aided by volunteer supervisor John Nordquist, local contractor and owner of North Branch Construction, who guided the students in measuring for locations of the footings, setting the molds, and mixing and pouring concrete.

Jeff Sims, chair of the Sisters Trails Committee that is constructing the Tollgate-to-High School Trail, also helped.

Students working on the project were Brian Marquardt, Travis Myrick, Jeff Sampson and Trever Summers.

“The next phase will be laying the two long stringers, bolting on the deck planks, and bringing in dirt to build up the approaches,” Sims said. “We are hoping that residents of Tollgate and others will volunteer to help us finish the job this Thursday and Friday starting around 1 p.m.”

The committee also will need help later in completing work to gravel and compact the trail bed, he added.

The bridge is being built about a quarter of a mile north of the high school. You reach the area by driving to the northeast corner of the school and walking the short distance along the cleared trail route on the east side of the football field.

The 27-foot stringers will span the creek bed of Trout Creek, an intermittent stream that flows through the area several times each winter and spring.

The Tollgate-to-High School trail is 3/4-mile long. When completed it will be a multi-use non-motorized path designed for bikes and pedestrians. Plans are to connect this trail to routes within the city that would lead to the Three Wind Shopping Center and downtown. The trail was ranked number one in priority of the 36 trails in the proposed 142-mile trail system surrounding Sisters.