North Bend awards $1.65M contract for Fifth, Sixth and Main improvements; neighbors urged sidewalks

The North Bend City Council unanimously approved a resolution awarding the Fifth Street, Sixth Street and Main Avenue construction contract to Riot Construction on July 15, following staff reports and public comment in support of the project.

Public works staff described the project as a package of water‑system reliability upgrades, removal of aging asbestos‑cement water line and replacement with ductile iron pipe, sidewalk construction on one side of the streets, and storm‑drain work to address recurring surface ponding. "This does hit the city's mission statement of building healthy infrastructure," Public Works staff member Mark Rigos told the council.

Rigos reported the city received six bids; the low bid was roughly $1,650,000, about $350,000 below the engineer's estimate of $2,000,000. Funding will come from transportation impact fees, the water capital fund and the storm drainage capital fund. Council members voted to award the contract without recorded dissents.

Earlier in the meeting, resident Kate Edwards spoke in favor of the improvements, saying sidewalks would help connect existing, mixed‑age neighborhoods to downtown and the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. "It's these existing communities that add kind of the spice to North Bend," Edwards said, urging the council to "bring sidewalks" and support neighborhood infrastructure.

City staff said the project has been in design and public‑works preparation for about 12 months and includes detailed plans and a project map in the council packet. Construction is expected to proceed under the terms of the awarded contract; the council did not set a new project scope or alternate funding at the July 15 meeting.