County prepares road list for possible stimulus cash

In preparation for a possible award of federal stimulus dollars for transportation, Whitman County commissioners Monday approved the addition of four re-paving projects to the county’s six-year transportation plan.

“Bring on the money,” said County Commissioner Greg Partch.

Whitman County, Pullman and Colfax have applied again this year to receive stimulus funding. Those three were the only local entities to receive funding out of last year’s stimulus round.

Deadline to submit project applications to state officials was March 1.

State and local officials now are waiting to see if congress approves stimulus funds which would go to state transportation departments. Any decision on awarding funds will be made by the state DOT.

County Public Works Director Mark Storey said only about a half dozen called this year to see if their towns could qualify.

“People just didn’t have their hopes up this year,” he said.

In last year’s stimulus round, many towns were disappointed to learn their projects did not meet stimulus criteria.

Two of the key factors were projects which already had plans on the table and involve arterials. The “shovel ready” requirement reflects the stimulus aim of getting people on the job quickly.

Projects advanced to state officials were picked by a local panel consisting of Storey, Partch, Julie Banks in the county engineer’s office, Colfax Administrator Carl Thompson, and Pullman Public Works Director Mark Workman.

Topping the county’s nomination list this year are an asphalt overlay of five and a half miles of the Farmington Road as it runs north toward Tekoa, and an overlay of five miles of the Wawawai-Pullman Road.

Projects lined up for a possible later round of stimulus funding are repaving of the Zaring Cutoff Road west of Dusty, and an overlay on a 2.4 mile stretch of the Wawawai-Pullman Road.

Storey said the first two projects stood a good chance of receiving funding from any initial round of stimulus funding. The Zaring and the first part of the Wawawai sections, he suspected, might be paid with funds remaining from first-round projects that run under costs.

Colfax is seeking funds to rebuild a ramp on a Main Street bridge over the South Palouse River at the Cooper Street intersection.

The present steep ramp on the south end of the sidewalk on the east side of the bridge is difficult to negotiate for bicycle riders, stroller pushers and handicapped residents with motorized chairs. Rebuilding the approach has been an ongoing topic between city and state Department of Transportation officials. The city has requested the state to pay for a redo of the ramp.

Storey said the Colfax project may not be able to be ready early enough to meet time binds under the stimulus fund requirements.

Because the bridge is more than 50 years old, the project would require an historical survey. That would add time to the permit process, which may take too long to have the project under contract within the federally-mandated deadline.

Pullman’s project would apply new pavement on .43 miles of Rocky Way from Grand Ave., up Pioneer Hill to Spring Street.

Public Works Director Mark Workman said the street is in “pretty bad shape” and is in need of repair.

Pullman last year resurfaced several streets on College Hill with its share of the stimulus grants.