Commissioners okay road improvements

Wahkiakum County commissioners on Tuesday authorized the county engineer to apply for funds for road improvement projects in Eden Valley, on Puget Island and at Skamokawa.

Commissioners authorized County Engineer Paul Lacy to apply for grant funding for the road improvement projects.

The bulk of the funding would come from the state County Road Administration Board. The three projects are:

1. Improving Eden Valley Road to ease flooding impacts. At milepost 2, the road flooded nine times last year, Lacy said. He has proposed installing more culverts for overflow drainage from a creek passing under the road, and also improving the vertical alignment to raise the road surface.

The cost is estimated at $535,010, with the county's share being $13,000.

2. Widening a curve at the intersection of Crossdike and West Birnie Slough roads on Puget Island. The road bends at that point, and a garage on private property obscures vision of vehicles traveling on West Birnie. There have been some collisions there, Lacy said. He proposes widening the curve and moving the road away from the building to improve sight distance. The cost is estimated at $100,000, with the county paying a $13,000 match.

3. Improving the intersection of SR 4 and East Valley Road. East Valley Road now intersects the highway at an acute angle, making it hard for motorists to see to the west when turning onto the highway and hard for large vehicles or vehicles pulling trailers which are east bound to turn onto the county road.

The project calls for widening the road along Skamokawa Creek to make the intersection close to a perpendicular 90 degrees. The cost is estimated at $500,000, with the county share approximately $68,500.

Lacy suggested the project be planned for 2018; in the meantime he will look for other grant funds to lower the county share.

Working around the highway bridge complicates the project, for it's on a historic register, and the county would have to mitigate any changes to its structure.

The bridge was constructed so that it could swing to the side and allow high boats to pass up and down the creek.