Govy rest area relocation lands federal grant posted on 03/01/2023
The effort to relocate the rest area on the east end of
Government Camp by Timberline’s Summit Pass (formerly the Summit Ski Area) got
a boost in January when it received $715,000 in federal funding as part of the
Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP). The money will be used to study the
potential move.
“This federal investment takes a significant step on the
road toward making this heavily used stop for motorists on U.S. 26 a safer
spot,” U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said in a press release. “An essential part of
quality infrastructure is safety, and I’ll continue teaming up with Oregonians
working hard to reach the ultimate goal of ensuring this rest stop is as safe
as possible.”
Manuel Padilla, Project Manager for Oregon Solutions, one of
the organizations involved in the potential rest area move, spoke at the
Government Camp Community Planning Organization’s (CPO) February meeting,
noting that the grant money will focus on the first phase of the work,
including planning, design and cost estimating.
“The other pieces that will come after that; engineering,
development of planning, details of cost estimates, sources of funding,” he
said.
The funds are slated to be distributed in 2025, Padilla
noted, but could be available as early as November 2024. He added that
collaboration between the various organizations involved in the project,
including the U.S. Forest Service, Clackamas County, is a key component.
John Burton, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for
Timberline Lodge, also spoke at the CPO meeting, noting that they are working
with Clackamas County on a transit hub in parallel to the rest area move. He
added that a feasibility study is expected to be completed, including rough
cost estimates, by the end of May and that stakeholder outreach will likely be
done sometime in April.
Burton added that the Summit Pass area would be a great
selection for a transit hub, which could include public restrooms, bus stalls,
chargers for electric vehicles, bike racks and more, with the goal of making
transportation around the Mountain more effective and safer.
“We’re just going to keep pushing forward,” he said.
Burton also noted that the long-term vision for parking in
the area would include an area off of Timberline Road.
For more information about Oregon Solutions and the
Government Camp rest area redevelopment, visit https://orsolutions.org/.
By Garth Guibord/MT | 
