Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
After four years of planning, design and approval, Whitman County’s Almota Four road reconstruction project may be in jeopardy.
Set for this summer for 3.5 miles between Union Flat Creek and the State Route 194 intersection east of Onecho Bible Church, the project remains in limbo with unfinished property agreements with landowners along the route which would widen part of the road from 28 to 34 feet.
Agreements were made in concept during meetings with owners last fall, and offer letters to secure right-of-way ground – and keep farmable slopes – were mailed in late March and early April.
Not all have been returned.
The county has to go out to bid before June 30 to remain eligible for $2.5 million in state funds, and the end of July for $2.5 million in federal funds.
“We’ve never come this close before,” said Mark Storey, Whitman County Public Works director, noting that even a late bid process could allow some work to be done this summer.
“We could still get a lot of the earthwork done,” said Storey. “I’m still optimistic, but we’re coming down to the wire. And I don’t like coming down to the wire.”
On Monday, he asked county commissioners to consider options.
A backup plan would be to use the federal money to only do an asphalt overlay on the existing Almota Four section without widening or hill/slope reductions.
“We play by a certain set of rules because there is federal funding involved,” said Storey.
If the right-of-way agreements do not all come in, the state money will be lost and federal may be too, depending on conditions. The federal money could be moved to a different county project, needing to be committed by Aug. 1.
As for the original plan, the county has had state funding secured for five years and the federal money for two years. The Almota Four project was redesigned over the last two years after landowner input, while the county was granted an extension by the state on funding.
Almota Four is part of a four-phase, 12-mile reconstruction begun in 2009.
For each phase, landowner agreements were needed, while Almota Four requires the most. Almota Three is set for next summer, and is not affected by the issues for Four. (Phases have not been done in exact order, due to timing of funding).
Some of the land plots for Four have multiple owners.
“The people haven’t been a problem, we’re just up against a deadline,” Storey said.
The Washington State Department of Transportation approved the county’s right-of-way plans in April, which included proposed offer letters for 12 property owners.
The county will need a total of 12 acres along the 3.5 miles of road to be expanded.
“I’m optimistic this still could be done this year,” said Storey.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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