A project to replace decking on three Bizz Johnson Trail bridges gets underway the week of November 11th, and will continue through December. Construction crews will work on the Hobo Camp bridge on the Susan River, near Susanville, and on two bridges about five miles west of Susanville.
Trail visitors will continue to have access to the trail and the Susan River Canyon by using detours. Trail users can bypass the Hobo Camp bridge project by connecting to the trail from the Hobo Camp Day Use Area instead of the Miller Road Trailhead. Further west, trail enthusiasts can bypass the bridge projects by using the South Side Trail, a scenic single-track route paralleling the Bizz Johnson Trail.
“We are working to complete these improvements, while we have good weather and trail demand is lower than the summer peak,” said Emily Ryan, associate field manager for the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, Susanville.
“We encourage everyone to avoid the construction sites. People should be aware that the South Side trail is narrow and steep in some places. Some bike riders might want to walk through steep areas.”
The Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail follows the path of the historic path Fernley and Lassen Branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad. It extends about 25 miles between Susanville and Westwood. It crosses the Susan River 12 times on historic railroad bridges and passes through two railroad tunnels built in 1914.
The BLM and Lassen National Forest completed a rails-to-trails conversion after Southern Pacific abandoned the railroad in the late 1970s. Bicyclists, runners, walkers and horseback riders are the primary trail users. Western sections of the trail are open to motor vehicles and are popular for snowmobiles.
More information on the improvement project is available by telephoning the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office at 530-257-0456.
