Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
COLFAX – Construction on Almota Road has advanced to the paving stage.
Mark Storey, Whitman County Public Works director, told county commissioners Monday that paving may start as early as next week. He also noted a first re-imbursement on the project from the federal highway department had come in for $900,000.
“The project is basically a gravel road at this time,” said Dean Cornelison, assistant county engineer.
Crews from Poe Asphalt of Pullman – subcontractor of M.A. DeAtley – will conduct six days of paving, to cover all of the Almota Road section of the project and Longhollow Road. Cornelison said the plan is to start Wednesday, Aug. 12. A pilot car will lead traffic as one lane is paved at a time.
Once the asphalt work is complete, next steps on the ahead-of-schedule project known as “Almota Four” include finishing approaches – laying aprons of asphalt at farm entrances – and seeding a weed mix on roadsides to minimize erosion.
The full project is expected to be done by mid-September.
Almota Four spans 3.5 miles between Union Flat Creek and State Route 194 by Onecho Bible Church, widening the road from 28 to 34 feet. The work is part of a four-phase, 12-mile reconstruction begun in 2009.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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