County lowers Elochoman road speed

Wahkiakum County commissioners adopted an ordinance Tuesday that will lower the speed limit on the Elochoman Valley Road from SR 4 to Family Camp Road later this year.

Valley resident Mike Mouliot had asked the board last year to consider the move. He said population growth had increased the number of driveways and drivers in the lower portion of the valley, and safety was becoming an issue.

Commissioners asked Public Works Director Pete Ringen to prepare an engineering and traffic inspection of the road. Ringen presented the report in December and recommended lowering the speed limit from 50 to 45 miles per hour.

He said the road width is too narrow in some places, and some curves have stopping distance sight problems.

The rate of accidents is close to the state average for similar roads, but accidents are clustered in curvy stretches that receive little sunlight in the winter and become icy.

The average speed of drivers on the road is around 45 miles per hour, he said.

Residential development is changing the lower valley from a rural area to a suburban area, he said, and this creates a greater potential for traffic problems.

"Therefore, with these factors, I recommend the speed limit be reduced to 45 mph," he said.

There was little public comment. Skamokawa resident Mike Lynn asked if the speed limit would be better reduced to 40 mph.

"It's not justifiable," said Commissioner Blair Brady, referring to Ringen's report.

Commissioners then adopted the ordinance, which will take effect when appropriate signs are erected.

Ringen said that will be in the spring when the road department embarks on a project to upgrade road signs across the county.