Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Whitman County commissioners took in comments Monday from a rural county resident regarding the Beeson Cut-Off Road and Estes Road, halfway between Pullman and Palouse, toward the Idaho border.
John Chaplain, a longtime WSU track coach, noted that he has lived on the road since the 1960s and that he first came in to talk to commissioners about this 50 years ago – and on subsequent occasions since – about what he described as a dangerous stretch of gravel road.
“I don't think I can make it another 50 (years), guys, so I'm making my last pitch,” said Chaplain, 82.
The road is used as a commuter shortcut between Viola and Pullman.
“It doesn't matter if the (road) grader grades on Monday, it's gone by Tuesday night,” Chaplain said. “Somebody is going to get killed at the top of the hill. With the dust moving across the flat, you can't see 50 meters.”
He told commissioners he has gotten permits to put his own oil down on the road and made a suggestion, saying if the county cannot pave it or oil it more, for them to put up two signs; one that says 35 mph for the speed limit and another with lights that turn on when a vehicle is speeding.
“Eighteen-wheelers have no business being on a road like that,” said Chaplain. “These aren't farm trucks, these are big commercial trucks. If you allow trucks you have to widen the road.”
County Commissioners chairman Art Swannack asked Mark Storey, Whitman County Public Works director, for his input.
Storey noted that Beeson Cut-off Road does receive higher-than-ordinary traffic levels for a road of its kind.
“We have looked at, we have talked about a base-stabilization,” said Storey, referring to laying down magnesium chloride on the road, which makes for a stronger base.
He stated that funding is the key.
“John is correct, when we grade it, it starts to unravel within about a week,” Storey said. “I don't buy that it's only a day.”
County Commissioner Chairman Art Swannack then got a summary from Storey about what his department may do.
Storey responded that a traffic count is set for late summer or fall, a flashing light may be installed or possibly widening the road at the hilltop.
“We have quite a few more gravel roads with higher traffic than that one,” Storey said.
He told commissioners that he looked up maintenance records for the past five years, which showed $56,000 spent on the 1.7 mile-long stretch of Beeson Cut-Off Road. Another $135,000 was spent on Estes Road.
For county traffic counts, trucks added up to one to two percent on these roads.
“We see more than two trucks a day,” said Chaplain.
“As a result of John coming to us, we have put more signs up there,” said Storey, referring to warning signs.
“I've said it over the last 30 years, sooner or later, somebody's gonna get killed there,” said Chaplain.
“That could be said of an awful lot of our roads,” Storey said.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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