Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cowlitz County to sign WSDOT detour agreement for West Side Highway culvert repair
Summary
County staff told commissioners WSDOT has requested a temporary detour for repairs to a sinkhole and culvert at about milepost 9.55, with construction planned July 1–Oct. 31 and commitments to repair local detour roads if damaged.
Cowlitz County staff said Wednesday they will sign a Washington State Department of Transportation detour agreement to allow WSDOT to close part of West Side Highway and route traffic onto Cook Ferry Road and Hoyer Road while crews repair a sinkhole and a culvert near milepost 9.55.
Susan Genes, county engineer, told the Board of County Commissioners that WSDOT’s construction schedule calls for a July 1 start and work through Oct. 31 and that the state’s standard agreement includes a provision to fund upgrades and repairs if the detour causes excess damage to the county roads used as the temporary route. “They will fund upgrades and repairs on that system,” Genes said.
Why it matters: the proposed detour will place higher-than-normal traffic loads on narrow local roads. Commissioners and staff raised enforcement and safety questions and pressed for mitigation measures before signing. Genes said the county will document roadway conditions before detour traffic starts and will continue discussions with WSDOT about temporary traffic calming and law-enforcement enforcement of weight and speed restrictions.
Key details: Genes said the detour route will be posted and that heavier trucks are to be kept off the local roads; she and staff expect an explicit weight restriction to remain in effect. She also said the county will likely ask sheriff’s deputies to increase patrols and is discussing temporary speed-control devices similar to those used during past projects. Genes told the board she will send an inspector or design technician to document baseline roadway conditions before the detour begins so post-project repairs can be compared against that baseline.
Commissioners discussed compliance concerns. One commissioner observed some log trucks have already avoided the detour; Genes said she had seen log trucks complying in some locations but acknowledged occasional noncompliance. The board gave staff permission to sign the agreement and continue mitigation discussions with WSDOT so the project can move forward.
Next steps: staff will finalize the baseline roadway survey, sign the WSDOT agreement per board authorization, and continue talks on temporary calming devices and enforcement procedures with WSDOT and the sheriff’s office. The county will monitor detour impacts and pursue the state-funded repairs required under the agreement.
