Members of the Lewis County Board of Commissioners and Centralia City Council preferred this option of four for Borst Avenue rehab presented by SCJ Alliance during a workshop meeting in April 2017.
Lewis County has adopted its six-year transportation improvement program for 2018 to 2023, outlining at least 32 priority projects within Lewis County.
The document must be approved and adopted on an annual basis prior to the passage of a county budget each year. Projects must be listed on the plan to be eligible for funding applications for most state and all federal funding programs.
Following a public hearing on Monday, the plan, as well as the county’s 2018 annual construction program, was approved by the Board of Lewis County Commissioners.
Included in the list are Eshom Road safety improvements at priority No. 11 and Borst Avenue safety improvements at priority No. 12.
Sixty percent of the Borst Avenue project that would include sidewalks on the road many students walk on to access the high school is maintained by the city of Centralia. Erik Martin, the county’s public works director, said Centralia will find out on Friday if it will receive grant funding for the project.
“I feel really good about this project actually happening this time,” Martin said. “I know it’s been decades in the making. We’re going to continue to fight hard to make sure this project happens this time.”
If Centralia does not receive the funding, the project may be delayed to 2019 or later.
Mike Kroll, transportation planner for the public works department, said there are 16 projects currently in the 2020-2023 construction cycle that are awaiting funding. One of those include the North County Industrial Access, which will be awarded state funds in 2023.
The North Lewis County Industrial Access project focuses on improving access to industrial lands, such as the Port of Centralia and the Industrial Park at TransAlta, by addressing current problems with the routes.
Bob Guenther, who has worked with a group of agencies to create an industrial access point north of Centralia, asked what the status of the project is after $500,000 was designated to the county to study the project. Martin said the report should be ready on Nov. 30.
Commissioner Edna Fund said it’s one of the county’s priority projects that would help in terms of industry and would bring in good wage jobs.
Here Are the Top 10 Priorities for the County:
• Priority No. 1 — Countywide bridge/road bank protection: Eight proposed sites were identified for bank protection projects. Those include bridge scour projects on Berry, King, Kiona, Lincoln Creek, Pleasant Valley, Stowell and Van Hoesen roads, as well as a road scour mitigation project on Newaukum Valley Road. The total funding for the projects is $525,000 for the six year span, with $515,000 in local funding.
• Priority No. 2 — Countywide culvert replacement: Six proposed sites for improvements for fish passage and county maintenance were identified, which include projects on Lucas, Frase, and Bunker creeks, as well as Independence and Wildwood roads. There is $1.03 million in total funding for the six-year period, with $202,500 of that from local funding.
• Priority No. 3 — Federal Forest road improvements: There are two proposed projects paid for with $515,000 in local funding over the six-year span. The proposed projects include work to the Covel Creek culvert pending Forest Service right-of-way acquisition, and pavement repair and preservation on federal forest roads.
• Priority No. 4 — Countywide 3R program: The proposed projects in 2018 include over 65 roads that would be chip sealed, over 30 roads that would include a cement-treated base, and five projects that would include hot mix asphalt. The total funding for the six years is $4.225 million, with $1,672,498 in county funding. In 2018, the proposed funding would include $1.265 million in total funding, $836,583 of which would be made up of local funds.
• Priority No. 5 — Countywide paths and trails: There is $200,000 in funding for the six-year period, $100,000 of which would take place in 2018. Proposed sites include Swofford Pond pedestrian improvements, maintaining existing trails and sidewalks in Mineral. The money is generated from one-half of a 1 percent gas tax dedicated to paths and trails.
• Priority No. 6 — Countywide emergency construction projects: There is $285,000 in local funding for the six-year timespan, $35,000 of which is slated for 2018. According to Kroll, the work accommodates development, growth or access needs that are not currently pinpointed, but may occur.
• Priority No. 7 — Countywide miscellaneous safety and guardrail projects: The proposed guardrail sites that would be repaired in 2018 would include repairs after an accident or storm damage. On the safety side, there would be pavement marker replacements, the installation of flexible guide posts, intersection safety improvements, right of way purchase and slope flattening. There is $725,000 budgeted for the six year span, with $150,000 in 2018. All of the money is from local funds.
• Priority No. 8 — Highway 603 stabilization: There is $10,000 budgeted for the 2018 year of local funding that would be used to close out the project.
• Priority No. 9 — County safety program, phase two: $10,000 is budgeted for 2018 to close out projects, all of which county funding. The work was completed on about 20 roads, which included Shorey and Coal Creek roads.
• Priority No. 10 — Jackson Highway rehabilitation: $10,000 is budgeted for 2018 to close out the project. The work completed took place between mileposts .26 and and 1.23.
