In 2015 the second Amanda Trail fiberglass bridge was destroyed along with the Amanda statue from a major mudslide. The trail was reopened with the bridge temporarily patched in 2016 thanks to the work of 78 people from seven organizations and governmental bodies. A plan for a permanent replacement bridge got underway. Oregon Parks & Recreation Department (OPRD), in consultation with Joanne Kittel, came up with a more durable bridge option, a 145-foot-long suspension bridge to connect the Amanda Trail to the Oregon Coast Trail. View the Future raised $70,000 for the project. Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund and Three Rivers Foundation all contributed as did Discover Your Northwest, the 501(c)(3) org for Cape Perpetua. Over $50,000 was raised in donations. So many starts and stops; then the pandemic, and the terrible losses to OPRD. Initially, the suspension bridge project was tabled indefinitely, but only for 5 weeks.
The Director of OPRD, Lisa Sumption with the support of Dennis Comfort, Coast Manager stated that this project was too important and resurrected it. With so few staff doing so much, progress has been made with an archaeological evaluation being complete, auxiliary access determined, final plans being solidified, and now the expanded easement finished.
This expanded trail easement will give OPRD the south 2 acres of Joanne Kittle’s property where the new Amanda Bridge will be located. OPRD will have full authority to maintain that bridge and protect it from any potential problems like leaning trees within its footprint. Most important to Kittle, the new Amanda Gathering Area and the statue will be finally in public protection. (The statue has always been on Kittle’s private land.) Joanne also added a 100 by 100-foot square to the northwest corner of her property as an additional easement to OPRD. This is in the event if a driveway goes in, OPRD can have the flexibility to reroute that part of the Amanda Trail.
