Olympic Peninsula officials and Jefferson County staff joined Governor Bob Ferguson yesterday to celebrate the successful reopening of Upper Hoh Road, the primary access route to the Hoh Rain Forest section of Olympic National Park. The road had been closed since December due to significant damage caused by heavy rainfall.

Jefferson County expanded outreach efforts to seek new resources after Public Works staff told Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour that traditional funding channels wouldn’t meet the urgent demands of such a large-scale project. “We had to think outside the box and let people know our community needed help,” she said.

When Governor Ferguson heard the news, he stepped up and directed $623,000 in emergency funding from the State's Strategic Reserve Fund to repair the road, with an additional $27,000 raised through private donations from local businesses and residents. The repair work was carried out by Seton Construction of Port Townsend in coordination with Jefferson County Public Works crews.

The reopening ceremony, held at noon on Thursday at the repair site, marked the successful completion of a collaborative project supported by state and local agencies, private donors, and community members. Jefferson County District 2 Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour opened the event with heartfelt thanks to all who contributed, including Representative Adam Bernbaum; Public Works Director Monte Reinders; Deputy Director Eric Kuzma; Engineers Mark Thurston and Bruce Patterson; Hoh Shop Foreman Bill Robinson; and Bruce Seton of Seton Construction. To commemorate the occasion, she shared a poem about the Hoh River by Tim McNulty, a poet and nature writer whose work centers on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

Governor Ferguson reflected on the broad impact of the project: “Like most people, when I go hiking, I stop at small businesses for things like coffee, food and gas. The Hoh Rain Forest is a critical economic driver for the Peninsula. Opening this road not only ensures the hundreds of thousands of annual visitors have the chance to enjoy a natural wonder, but it also protects jobs and tourism dollars that local economies depend on. I’m grateful to have played a part in it, but the local community coming together is what made it possible.”

“This project represents a true partnership in action,” said Jefferson County Public Works Director Monte Reinders, echoing the Governor’s sentiment. “We’re grateful for the support of Governor Ferguson, the private donors, and our hardworking local contractors and crews.”