Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Chip-sealing season is underway in Whitman County.
The first of 12 projects started Monday on Garfield-Farmington Road, where a country crew will seal-coat six miles of road north from Highway 27 to near Ryde Road. They are expected to be finished this week.
Next will be a three-mile stretch of Johnson Road at the Pullman city limits to Gimlin Road. Another span of Johnson Road will also be treated, running south for four miles to the Colton city limits.
Chip-sealing is the application of liquid asphalt to a paved road in order to fill cracks and preserve the surface. Sections of county roads are generally chip-sealed every 12-15 years.
Continuing with the list for 2016, a section of the Old Moscow Road will be chip-sealed by a county crew, running from Pullman city limits for two miles to east of Sunshine Road.
Finally, the county will do a 3.6-mile-section of Klemgard Road from Wawawai-Pullman Road to the intersection of Story Road.
Following the county's work, a contractor will seal-coat seven sections of road to be paid for by funds released by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
Because the money comes from a federal source, by law – the economic stimulus package of 2009 – the work is required to be done by an independent contractor.
Public works staff now awaits WSDOT to release the funds, at which point they will send the projects out to bid. All are expected to be completed this summer.
The work will also include two sections of Rosalia Road for two total miles, a 5.5-mile stretch of Pine City-Malden Road, all 9.7-miles of Green Hollow Road, 13.5 miles of Endicott Road and 13 miles of Lancaster Road.
During chip-sealing work, motorists should expect delays of up to a half hour and reduced speeds due to loose gravel.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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