Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
COLFAX – A public hearing will be held Monday, July 20, for an annual update to the county's six-year plan for roads and bridges.
“If there's anything people want us to look at, we would like the input,” said Mark Storey, Public Works director.
County commissioners took in the subject July 13 during a workshop. The state legislature-required Transportation Improvement Program calls for each county to lay out its intentions for projects to come.
Storey noted highlights from the Whitman County plan to commissioners, who will ultimately need to approve it sometime after the public hearing.
The list includes:
2021 - Johnson area asphalt overlays
2022 - Almota Road re-construction phase three
2023 - Hume Road re-construction; three miles south of Oakesdale
2024 - Pullman Airport Road; three miles of reconstruction, including a third lane.
Hoped-for projects in 2025 and 2026 include reconstruction of Johnson Road, Green Hollow Road and part of Warner Road. No funding has yet been secured for these.
“The array of projects is based on our ability to get money,” said Storey.
A six-year proposed road safety list was also included. These projects are assigned by a points system, including work on the Warner Road “S” curves, more guardrail on Wawawai Road, re-alignment of curves on Revere Road and addressing a tight intersection of Green Hollow Road with bad sightlines.
Bridges too
Storey gave commissioners a report on bridges as well. Included in the six-year plan is $500,000 in “miscellaneous construction” which may include small bridges built by county workers.
Whitman County's Public Works Department inspects about 200 bridges per year – each span at least every other year – with three now deemed “structurally deficient.” These are Ewan, Fairgrounds and Kitzmiller Road.
“Structurally deficient” means only that they are at a point which they are paid special attention.
The county also has 40-50 “functionally obsolete” bridges, which are spans in use with certain conditions. An example would be a 19-foot wide bridge on a 28-foot-wide road. Another would be a bridge with guardrails from 1930.
Bridges may qualify for federal funding at over 20-feet long.
“We don't have anything in bad enough shape to qualify,” said Storey.
The county has replaced 102 bridges since 1997.
Monday's hearing on the six-year plan is at 11:15 a.m., with public access by Zoom available at whitmancounty.org.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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