Resurfacing construction in full swing on SR 195

Construction on Highway 195 is mostly wrapped up through Uniontown and crews are now focusing on resurfacing the rest of the state highway to the state border.

Drivers can expect more delays of up to a half-hour on the highway as the project continues. Monday, flaggers were scheduled to operate at three different locations along the stretch of highway.

The total project runs south from the north Colton city limits eight miles to the Washington/Idaho state line, a distance of more than eight miles.

Crews along the highway are grinding off the top layer of asphalt and will then apply a new asphalt surface.

The construction is expected to finish by late June.

The construction through Uniontown was to lay down a more solid base for the highway through town. The aged stretch of highway had developed many potholes over the years because of the crumbling foundation beneath.

Starting May 17, crews dug down two feet to replace the base foundation. After digging down two feet and laying down their foundation, Poe Asphalt crews realized the soil underneath was too moist to correctly support a highway.

The DOT asked crews to remove the base and then dig down another foot for a depth of three feet. Poe Asphalt project manager Jeremy Walkup said the delay set them back about one day. That part of the project finished Friday.

Poe Asphalt out of Pullman won the bid for the $2 million total project. The DOT is paying for the project from leftover federal stimulus dollars granted to the Spokane DOT region.

DOT spokesman Al Gilson said the project is a standard maintenance issue, only made possible because of the boost of stimulus dollars.

Side streets were blocked off in Uniontown starting May 17.

Residents on the west side of Uniontown had a single road into their neighborhood. Some had a rough time making their way home because finding and using the hilly gravel road was tough, particularly in the dark.

The Sage Bakery and the four antique shops in town were closed for most of the construction. Mini-mart owner Robbin Weatherly stayed open, but said her flow of customers was at least cut by half.

“It’s been hard having the side streets blocked for the locals,” Weatherly said.

Weatherly added the flagging crew and Poe Asphalt were easy to work with.

Ed Barton, who lives on the east side of town, said he was able to cope.

“It hasn’t been much of an inconvenience,” Barton said.

Another resident, Christie Zeoli, said she was just happy to have the new stretch of highway through town.

As for the construction delay, she added this wasn’t too much of an issue for her.

“It just takes a little longer,” she said.