PORT ANGELES — Clallam County has purchased the first of seven properties it needs to build an underpass near Deer Park Road.
County commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday to approve a $316,600 purchase agreement for 1.7 acres of commercially zoned land from William and Della Roberds.
“They seem to be pleased with the assessed value and offer,” County Engineer Ross Tyler told commissioners.
“The value of commercial properties has not taken quite as big of a nose dive as residential properties,” he added.
“So it’s held its value reasonably well, and they were more than pleased with the results.”
The parcel is located south of the Deer Park Cinemas east of Port Angeles.
Once completed in 2012 or 2013, the new county road will allow moviegoers and anyone else traveling from Deer Park Road to loop underneath the highway and merge with the westbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101 from Buchanan Drive.
The idea behind the $7 million federally funded project is to eliminate the hazardous left turns from Deer Park Road and Buchanan Drive, which can cause delays and white knuckles in peak traffic times.
Instead of darting across three lanes of highway traffic, motorists going east from Buchanan Drive will instead use the underpass and merge with eastbound traffic from Deer Park Road.
The new county road will have two 12-foot lanes, two 8-foot-wide shoulders and a 10-foot-wide pedestrian and bicycle path.
Highway 101 will retain its existing alignment and grade.
“Highway 101 will look no different than it does right now,” Tyler said in a Wednesday interview.
“I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that we’ll be cutting the ribbon on this thing by the end of 2012.”
State and federal transportation dollars will cover $5 million of the project. Clallam County is contributing $2 million in real estate excise tax revenue.
The county has hired David Evans & Associates Inc. to complete a final design. The design is about three-fourths of the way finished, Tyler said.
Meanwhile, two independent appraisers are making estimates on the seven properties the county needs to build the road. Five parcels are located on the south side of the highway, and two are on the north side.
Offers have been made on four of the properties.
If the right of way acquisition goes smoothly, Tyler said it is possible that a construction contract will be awarded by the end of this year.
During portions of the construction, Highway 101 will be diverted onto a state-owned vacant lot just south of the highway at the top of the Morse Creek hill.
Since most of the work can be done without affecting highway traffic, Tyler said the inconvenience will last for a “fairly short period of time.”
“People are really going to appreciate it when it all gets done,” he said.
“In the end, it’s going to be well worth it.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
