PORT ANGELES — Clallam County public works officials were surprised to learn that they’re getting a $300,000 check from the Federal Highway Administration to repair a damaged section of Undi Road along the Bogachiel River south of Forks.
The federal funds, which require no county match, will be used to fix a 100-foot-section of paved roadway that was damaged in a storm last year.
“It was kind of out of the blue,” said Ross Tyler, Clallam County engineer. “It took us a little by surprise.”
Clallam County commissioners approved an agreement for the $300,000 on Tuesday.
The county was denied a request for about $168,000 in state funds that would have required a 10 percent to 20 percent county match to repair the road. Tyler said he learned the project would be fully funded by the federal agency about two weeks ago.
“We said, ‘By golly, we’ll take it,'” Tyler said after the commissioners’ work session Monday.
“It’s going to take $300,000 to fix it.”
The paved road juts into Jefferson County before it enters Olympic National Forest as a logging road. Since it serves Forest Service and Department of Natural Resources land, Undi Road is classified as a federal forest road.
“It provides the only access in that area to federal timberlands,” Tyler said.
Private timber interests and a few property owners mainly use the road, Tyler said.
Slide damage forced the closure of one lane of Undi Road within Clallam County.
About half of the surface in the slide area was built into the hillside.
The other half was built up with logs, branches and other debris and covered with fill.
“We don’t do roads like that anymore,” Tyler said.
He said the county likely will hire a contractor to install drains and reposition the roadway closer to the slope.
“While we have yet to put pen to paper as far as design, we have enough experience with these types of failures to know that moving the road away from the failure is generally the least expensive fix,” Tyler said.
Because ripping off the paved surface could lead to more water damage, reconstruction is planned for next spring or summer.
Dungeness River Fest
Meanwhile, to accommodate the Dungeness River Festival, the three commissioners signed on Tuesday a resolution declaring the Sept. 23-26 closure of Hendrickson Road near its western terminus at the Dungeness River.
The road will be closed at the entrance to Railroad Bridge Park to make room for the booths, displays and pedestrians at the annual festival.
The Dungeness River Audubon Center, a co-sponsor of the event, requested the temporary closure.
The festival itself runs from Sept. 24 to 26.
“During the Dungeness River Festival, they want to keep people parked at the main parking area a few hundred yards from the end of the road,” Tyler said.
“It’s kind of a tight area for cars as it is.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
