Airport Road tops county project list, again

For the second straight year, a rebuild of Colfax Airport Road tops Whitman County’s list of construction projects.

Public Works Director Mark Storey unveiled the $5.3 million 2012 construction plan Monday.

The plan for the $3.5 million Colfax Airport Road project is to widen the road, create shoulders, eliminate some of the road’s tight curves and better angle its slopes.

“We have great expectations to do that next year,” said Storey.

Colfax Airport Road, a major thoroughfare for east-west WSU traffic, was originally slated to be rebuilt this year, but the owner of land on the north side of the road refused to sell the county right-of-way.

Because negotiations are ongoing, Storey would not release the name of that landowner.

Storey said nobody in the public works office could recall the county condemning private land for a road project. He added the county has no plans to do so in this case.

Colfax Airport Road has become a major thoroughfare over the past several years as Washington State University students and WSU parents and fans use it to bypass Colfax on their way from Highway 26 to Highway 195 and Pullman.

Washington State’s County Road Administrative Board granted the county $2.93 million over the last two years to help fund the project. County and federal funds will pay the difference.

Also on the 2012 docket are a number of safety projects.

One includes a $360,000 turn lane from the Pullman Airport Road onto O’Donnel Road. Storey said the airport road is being used more heavily, and residents of O’Donnel Road have complained that turning onto their road is hazardous.

Another will replace what Storey called the “incredible moving” Hatley Bridge which crosses Union Flat Creek just north of the Wawawai grade.

Storey said the 120-foot long bridge has moved more than a foot off its foundation since it was built in 1971.

Federal bridge dollars will be used to fund the $681,000 bridge.

Replacement of guard rails and removal of trees in road rights-of-way are expected to cost $394,000.

Also listed for 2012 is $300,000 the county will use to replace small bridges that are in dire need of repair. The county’s bridge crew is currently inspecting small bridges to determine which should be replaced. Those bridge projects will be funded by the county.

Several future bridge replacement jobs will be engineered next year for future construction.