Representatives from the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Local Programs office presented Wallowa County Public Works with the statewide ‘County Project’ Award on July 28 for the Lamar/Arch bridge project. WSDOT staff said the project stood out for timely delivery, accurate documentation and effective partnership with the contractor and federal partners during a period that included COVID-era constraints.

Why it matters: The award recognizes best practices in small‑jurisdiction project delivery and documentation; WSDOT said the county’s recordkeeping and willingness to coordinate with Federal Highway Administration reviewers were factors. County staff said the project was completed quickly, on budget, and used 100% federal construction funding for that phase.

Recognition and next steps: The commissioners and Public Works leadership accepted a commemorative plaque and poster from WSDOT. Public Works indicated it will continue similar project-management practices on upcoming projects and share lessons learned with regional partners.

Context: WSDOT’s Local Programs recognizes a small number of city, county and special-project efforts statewide each year; Walla Walla County’s public-works team was selected as the top county project for the state year.