Lewis County’s Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan, passed by the Board of County Commissioners Monday, includes $3.6 million in county-wide culvert replacement, $3.3 million in improvements for Winlock’s Michelsen Parkway, $4.7 million in work on Centralia Alpha Road and $10.2 million for a North County Industrial Access.
The plan is listed in full in documents available on lewiscountywa.gov. The plan includes a total of 30 projects listed in order of priority. Top priority projects include culvert work, forest road improvements and bridge work. Lower priority projects include work on Highway 603 and state Route 505 and extensions to Downie and Gallagher roads.
Altogether, the six-year planning document totals more than $47 million in work that could be paid for by a variety of funding sources.
County Engineer Tim Fife presented Lewis County’s 2020-2025 Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the 2020 Annual Construction Program (ACP) to the Board of County Commissioners at Monday’s regular meeting for approval.
During a public hearing at the Lewis County Courthouse, Fife explained how every county in the state is required to prepare, adopt and submit a Six-Year TIP for proposed road and bridge construction prior to the County’s budget adoption each year.
While walking listeners through a spreadsheet of the projects that are being proposed, Fife pointed out how bridge and road bank improvements protection are needed countywide along with culvert replacements. He also showed that a slew of pedestrian improvements made the list, including the addition of safety measures and rehabilitation on Harrison Avenue and Borst Avenue in Centralia, as well as renovations along Rush Road in Napavine.
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), County Road Administration Board (CRAB), and the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) will reportedly received copies of these requests no more than 30 days following their adoption by the Board of County Commissioners.
In addition, all counties are required by the state to provide a 2020 ACP no later than Dec. 31, which similarly feature several non-capital and capital improvements projects. Among the sites listed in the non-capital improvements category was Pleasant Valley Road Bridge in Winlock, whereas locations, such as Swofford Road in Mossyrock appeared on the lineup of capital improvement proposals.
Commissioners Bobby Jackson and Gary Stamper endorsed the resolution at the conclusion of the public hearing. The third member of the board, Edna Fund, wasn’t available to issue her vote given the fact that she excused herself earlier from the weekly meeting to tend to an emergency situation.
