River’s Edge Kayak and Canoe, a north Sonoma County hotspot for river recreation owned by Kim and Dave Lockhart, sits about 100 feet south of the historic railroad bridge spanning the Russian River in Healdsburg. The bridge, which once served as a part of a passenger railway connecting Healdsburg to other North Bay communities, is set to be torn down and rebuilt as part of the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit’s extension into Healdsburg. The design phase of the project is expected to last until December 2026 with construction slated from January 2027 through November 2028. After the Healdsburg connection is complete, it will mark the return of rail service to the city after more than 70 years. Many in Healdsburg, including civic leaders, are celebrating the extension, but for the couple whose customers paddle directly beneath the bridge from April to October, the project has stirred concerns about noise, safety and what construction could mean for one of Healdsburg’s most beloved river recreation corridors. “I think the hardest part is that it is still unknown,” said Kim Lockhart, who co-owns the business with her husband. The Lockharts say they are not opposed to the passenger rail’s extension into Healdsburg, but say construction planned during the peak summer and fall tourism season in 2027 and 2028 could disrupt their business during its most important time of year. They say SMART officials haven’t kept them in the loop about key construction dates, leaving them unable to plan for their future. “I wanted to know what the safety plan would be, considering we have people under the bridge and there would be construction going on at the same time,” Kim Lockhart said. They are the only business in the area that is likely to be affected by the construction. A spokesperson for Sonoma