Commissioners approve Six-Year Transportation Plan for county

The Adams County Commissioners unanimously approved the 2012-2017 Six Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) during the morning session on Monday, Dec. 5. Adams County Assistant Public Works Director Scott Yaeger presented the TIP plan explaining the specific differences and changes from the previous years.

Yaeger explained that eight projects on the current program are proposed programs that funding has not yet been secured for.

The Surface Transportation Program-Rural (STPR) allocates federal funds for rural highway improvements.

The Washington State DOT Highways and Local Programs (H&LP) distributes the STPR funding annually for the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) to the counties by region.

The Rural Arterial Program (RAP) is financed via the Rural Arterial Trust Account (RATA) reconstruction of rural arterial roads.

A portion of the Motor Vehicle Fuel tax funds RAP.

The Washington State County Road Administration Board (CRAB) distributes funding from the RATA account to counties within five regions of the state.

After describing all of the projects and how each specific project has or will be funded, the commissioners unanimously approved the six-year program.

The TIP includes 15 projects in order of priority ranking.

Funding is secured for projects one through seven and the remaining eight are planned or proposed projects.

Priority No. 1 – Safety program run-off-road guide post and sign project that will install guide posts and update signage. The selected funding for this project is STPS and will be a three-year project ending in 2013.

Priority No. 2 – Install a guardrail at needed locations to provide safe travel on a mile and a half stretch of road from Rosenoff to 64401, STPS funded and ending in 2012.

Priority No. 3 – Construct left hand turn lane on Bench Rd. that will be STPS funded and will end in 2012.

Priority No. 4 – Replace stop and stop ahead signs with enhanced signs with LED lights at various intersections. This program is STPS funding and will take place from 2011-2012.

Priority No. 5 – Reconstruct by grinding, grading, widening, replacing drainage and resurfacing Hatton Road No. 4 from Phillips Rd. to mile post 12.08, with RAP funding and to be completed in 2012.

Priority No. 6 – Replacement of bridge to conform to roadway and bridge standards at the Hooper Store Bridge and it will be funded with BRAC funds, concludes in 2013.

Priority No. 7 – 3-R project by grinding, widening, replacing drainage and resurfacing at Danekas Road No. 2. RAP selected funding and the project will end in 2013.

Projects that are still planned or proposed are:

Priority No. 8 – Lee Road Overlay No. 2 is set to put an overlay on the remaining two miles of road that does not have overlay already with two inches of hot mix asphalt, STPR funding and project will conclude in 2014.

Priority No. 9 – Hills Road Overlay from Danekas Rd. to Lincoln Co. line will overlay a mile of existing surface with two inches of hot mix asphalt and 3.36 miles with BST, STPR proposed funding in 2014.

Priority No. 10 – Reconstruct by grinding, grading, widening, replacing drainage and resurfacing Johnson Road Project No. 1 from Franklin Co. line to SR 26 with proposed RAP funding in 2015.

Priority No. 11 – Replacement of bridge to conform to roadway and bridge standards and realign the approach roadway at McManamon Road Bridge No. 400-3 project, BRAC proposed funding in 2015.

Priority No. 12 – Reconstruct by grinding, grading, widening, replacing drainage and resurfacing a two-mile section of Atkinson Rd. with proposed RAP funding in 2016.

Priority No. 13 – Widen, protect slopes and resurface with BST at Marcellus Road No. 1 from Tokio Rd. to the county line with RAP proposed funding in 2016.

Priority No. 14 – Reconstruct by grinding, grading, widening, replacing drainage, resurfacing and replacing a bridge at Herman Road with proposed STPR funding in 2017.

Priority No. 15 – Widen, protect slopes and resurface with BST at Cunningham Road with proposed RAP funding in 2017.