Lewis and Clark Trail Interpretive Waysides - Statewide Project
The Design Process is Moving Along!
 One of the biggest bicentennial projects in Washington is moving forward with the intent of completion by January of 2003. The waysides project will install new interpretive and information kiosks at approximately 9 sites across Washington and interpretive panels at an additional 46 sites. Preliminary text and artwork for each interpretive panel is in the process of being created. The state's Agency Assistance Team (involving the Washington State Historical Society, State Parks, Department of Transportation, and Tourism Office) is directing the project.
 Many of the panels will feature the artwork of Roger Cooke, a well-known artist of historic scenes. Interpretation will focus on site-specific themes related to the experiences of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the tribes they encountered. Involvement of tribal representatives from throughout the Pacific Northwest has been a high priority of this project from the outset.
After review by tribes and the Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee, panel text and designs will move into the final design stage and then on to production.
In the final design and production stage, the project will move forward in phases tied to geographic segments. The Vancouver region will be first geographic region for installation, targeted to occur later this summer. The project team will be organizing ribbon cutting ceremonies with communities along the trail as each phase gets completed. After the Vancouver region installations are completed this summer, it is anticipated that construction will occur in the other regions through the end of the year in the following phases:
- Clarkston/Eastern Washington/Snake River Sites (early fall)
- Tri-Cities/Walla Walla area sites (early to mid fall)
- Columbia River Gorge (mid fall)
- Western Washington/Lower Columbia to Coast (late fall - just in time for authentic Lewis and Clark weather!)
The goal for the designs of the kiosks to be located along the Lewis and Clark
Trail in Washington has been to reflect elements of the landscape in the way
members of the Expedition would have seen them. Reflections of American Indian
architectural styles and use of natural materials in the designs have helped to
achieve this goal.
 The "Timber Plankhouse" style kiosk will provide a sense of how the homes of tribes along the Columbia River looked, and the use of treated
timbers blends this design with the more wooded context of Western Washington.
 The "Columnar Basalt" style kiosk (which will actually be constructed of concrete, made to look like basalt) will honor the unique basalt formations along
the Snake and Columbia rivers throughout the region, and will be used primarily
at the more open (less wooded) sites in Eastern Washington and the Columbia
River Gorge.
For more information about the project, contact Mandi Roberts or Kristin Hoffman with Otak, Inc. at 206.224.7221 or mandi.roberts@otak.com or kristin.hoffman@otak.com.
|
