PORT ANGELES — Clallam County commissioners vetted six transportation projects eligible for federal grant funding, including street improvements in Port Angeles, Sequim and Forks.
The three commissioners are expected to call for a public hearing next week on the proposed allocation of 2021-22 Surface Transportation Block Grant program funding, which covers up to 86.5 percent of project’s total cost.
Clallam County is the lead agency for the prioritization and selection of local projects that receive federal STBG funding from the state Department of Transportation, county Transportation Program Manager Steve Gray said.
“Right now, with our carryover, we’re looking at a total available just north of $2.2 million, with our obligation target being just north of $1.8 million,” Gray told commissioners Monday.
“That obligation target is going to be critical,” Gray said, “so we have none of our local funds being swept to other places in the state.
“We want to look for projects that are essentially shovel-ready, or engineering-ready, to move forward each year,” Gray added.
Clallam County has teed up four projects for STBG funding this year.
They include:
• $633,180 for construction of a pavement overlay for West Washington Street in Sequim from River Road to Ninth Avenue.
• $550,000 for the first phase of the Port Angeles Race Street complete street project, which will include safety improvements and a multi-purpose trail to the Olympic National Park Visitor Center.
• $350,000 for a roundabout at Sequim-Dungeness Way and Woodcock Road north of Sequim.
• $57,803 for preliminary engineering for a pavement overlay of Bogachiel Way from Sixth Avenue to Russell Road in Forks.
Two projects are in line to receive federal Surface Transportation Block Grant funding in 2022.
They include:
• $825,000 for a new bridge over the Calawah River in Forks. The bridge will connect the Olympic Discovery Trial from Sitkum-Sol Duc Road to Calawah River Park.
• $386,760 for construction of the Bogachiel Way pavement overlay in Forks.
A Sequim application for a state project to improve the U.S. Highway 101 corridor on the east side of the city was not obligated for STBG funding last year, Gray said.
“I think the state (Department of) Transporation is waiting to see what the Legislature is going to do with the transportation budget this year,” Gray said in Monday’s work session.
“That project will move forward, but whether they’ll actually start engineering this year or in ‘22 or ‘23, we just don’t know yet. But it is going to be an important thing for us to consider in this process.”
County officials do not receive STBG funding for projects that go to the other jurisdictions, Gray said.
“Our role is to have a process to select projects to be funded,” Gray said.
Next Tuesday, commissioners will consider calling for an April 13 public hearing.
“I would certainly see no problem moving ahead,” board chair Mark Ozias said Monday.
________
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
