Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Road intended to divert traffic from school and open up business opportunities
Crey Construction of Lewiston broke ground Monday, Sept. 24, for the Colton Rimrock Road project.
With funding from a state Transportation Improvement Board grant, a new Colton street will connect Highway 195 to Rimrock Road, allowing heavy farm trucks and other traffic to get to the highway without driving right by the school.
Because the bids came back below the $680,000 funding from the state TIB grant, contractors will be able to expand the original project by completing all of McKinley Street which runs along the back side of the Colton school.
“From the high school there will be a curb and sidewalk clear out to the highway,” said Colton Mayor Jerry Weber.
In addition, Rimrock Road will be paved farther south to the city limits.
Munir Daud & Associates is the engineering firm on the project.
The contractor’s bid on the project was $472,632, the lowest of three bids. The revised contract on the project is now at $531,705, Daud said.
The two goals of the project are to increase safety by diverting large vehicle traffic from passing the school entrance, and to potentially draw business on the east side of the new route.
The area, now owned by the Heitstuman family, is zoned as commercial. The school owns the property to the west side of the new road.
The ground claimed by the street was donated in combination by the school district and the Heitstuman family.
The TIB grant was originally for up to $680,000. At the completion of the project, Mayor Weber said the total expenditure should be $520,000 to $550,000, which includes the expanded work.
The excess funds will be put into the TIB reserve for next year.
All is expected to be complete by Thanksgiving.
“I’m excited,” said Mayor Weber. “I think it’s a plus. A possibility of some growth for the town. A positive for the school too.”
Colton was awarded the grant in March of this year, after being turned down in 2011.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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