Centennial Trail reopens at Convention Center construction site

TRAILS — The section of the Spokane River Centennial Trail that’s been closed for weeks because of sewer line construction at the Spokane Convention Center expansion site ( see story ) will reopen this afternoon.

The Friends of the Centennial Trail report that Mile 22.5 of the Centennial Trail, from Division Street Bridge west to King Cole Bridge at the Spokane Convention Center, flows through the first phase of restoring and re-landscaping the area.

“Like the newly discovered Spokane River Gorge views from the Trail at Kendall Yards, the ‘new’ Convention Center views show case Riverfront Park, the north bank of the river and Gonzaga University like never before,” the Friends say in a email update.

“Extensive work to restore and landscape the Spokane River shoreline and bring a new first-phase surface to the Trail is beautiful.  Even in their dormant state, the addition of over 75 trees and hundreds of native plants make this area flourish.  Some Miracle Mile Medallions here have been carefully removed and stored.  They will be re-installed in numerical order when the project is completed by December, 2014.”

The second phase of trail construction begins next September.