Adams County Commissioners approve six-year transportation improvement plan

Adams County Public Works Director Todd O’Brien and Adams County Engineer Scott Yaeger presented the commissioners with the county’s Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) for 2015-2020.

Funding has been secured for five projects extending into the 2018 year.

Starting in 2015 the project priorities are as follows:

Priority One: The reconstruction of the McManamon Bridge. Total cost for the project is estimated at $2,112,000 with funding secured through the Bridge Replacement and Advisory Committee (BRAC) and through the state Rural Arterial Program (RAP).

Priority Two: The widening and resurfacing of a 3.79-mile section of Marcellus Road. Funding for this project is secured with $648,000 from the RAP and $165,000 from local funds.

These projects are scheduled for the 2015-year.

Priority Three: Reconstruction of a 3.99-mile section of Johnson Road from the county line to State Highway 26. Funding has been secured at $1,742,935 through the Surface Transportation Program-Rural. These funds are distributed through the Washington State DOT Highways and Local Programs for the Federal Highway Administration to counties by region. An additional $272,015 has been allocated from local funds for this project.

The Johnson Road project is slated for 2016.

Priority Four: Widening and resurfacing of a 3.62-mile portion of Cunningham Road between the Lind-Hatton Road and Lauer Road. For this project, the county has secured $922,500 in RAP funding and allocated $102,500 in local funding. This project is scheduled for 2017.

Priority Five: Road reconstruction and drainage structure replacement of a 3.05-mile portion of Schoonover Road from Rosenoff Road to Rehn Road. The funding for this project comes from STPR at $1,756,160 and $274,090 from local funds. This project is scheduled for 2018.

There are seven projects on the plan that have yet to have funding secured, starting in the year 2019.

Priority Six: Is an overlay of a 2.97-mile portion of the Deal Road from I-90 to Rosenoff Road. Funding for the project is proposed through STPR.

Priority Seven: Is the reconstruction of the Packard Bridge with proposed funding from BRAC.

Priority No. 8: is the widening and resurfacing with BST, RAP funding proposed. The project will end in 2019.

Priority No. 9: Deal Project No. 9, which is the reconstruction of 2.39-miles of the road from Leisle Road to Urquhart Road. Funding is proposed through RAP. The project would conclude in 2020

Priority No. 10: Reconstruction of a 2.16-mile portion of Atkinson Road from Athey Road to State Route 24. Funding is proposed through RAP in 2020.

Priority No. 11: Reconstruction of the Klemmer Bridge, with funding proposed through BRAC in 2020.

Priority No. 12: The Lind-Hatton Road Project No. 3, which is the reconstruction and drainage structure replacement along a 3.62-mile portion of the Lind-Hatton Road from milepost 3.71 to 7.33. Funding is proposed through RAP with the project concluding in 2020.

Discussion at the public hearing turned to the possibility of moving two projects proposed for 2019 and 2020 up. This concern was brought forth by Paul Wollman of the Warden Hutterain Brotherhood. The projects in question were an HMA overlay of Deal Road from I-90 to Rosenoff Road and the reconstruction of a 2.39-mile portion of the Deal Road between Leisle Road and Urquhart road.

O’Brien said there was a possibility to do the project with county funds if they became available which would move the projects up on the schedule. However, county funded projects do not appear on the six-year plan.

The board of commissioners adopted a resolution to approve the six-year transportation improvement plan as presented by O’Brien and Yaeger unanimously and closed the public hearing.

The commissioners moved to their regular session with the Public Works department where O’Brien reported crews had finished hydroseeding in the Othello and Lind areas but would be holding off in the Ritzville area until the weather allowed for it. Until then he said crews would be working on a minor project in the Othello area, cleaning culverts and putting up snow stakes.