A gateway sign on Harrison Avenue east of Bridge Street is among the projects being considered by the city of Centralia.
This rendering was provided by the city of Centralia and shows what Mellen Street at Marsh Street could look like when work is complete.
On Tuesday evening, the Centralia City Council received an update on the Centralia Streetscape project, which is aimed at improving the city’s roadways both functionally and aesthetically.
Patty Page, the city engineer, presented the Streetscape projects that the city is hoping to complete. The Streetscape Committee is currently reviewing the proposed plans, and the final proposal will be presented to the city council in February. After it is approved by the council, design and construction will proceed soon after.
The streetscape project improvements will be funded through the city’s real estate excise tax (REET funds) which were approved at the end of 2019.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is designing a portion of the city’s projects as they work on another project on state Route 507.
“On 507, WSDOT is going to be installing a pedestrian safety median, some sidewalk replacements with the stamped brick buffer, decorative concrete intersection at Yew and Mellen, doing some asphalt paving at Alder and Washington, along with decorative concrete crosswalks and ADA ramps,” Page told the council.
Page said that the Streetscape committee has had involvement in the WSDOT projects. The intersections are designed to match the streetscape in Centralia’s downtown area. Page said WSDOT plans to go out for construction bids in April or May and start construction this summer. The total estimated costs for WSDOT's portion of the Streetscape Project is $700,000.
The city-designed portion of the project is estimated to cost about $1.22 million, which includes a 15% contingency. Projects include installing wayfinding signs around town, painting streetlight poles black, making safety improvements on Harrison Avenue, improving the Main Street crosswalk and painting the Harrison Avenue overpass.
“Knowing that we do have a budget, we are trying to move forward with the highest rated elements that came from the committee, the walkthroughs, and the community,” Centralia Public Works Director Kim Ashmore said.
If there are leftover funds to put toward Streetscape projects, the committee proposed using the funds for the installation of a gateway sign over Harrison Avenue.
