Cowlitz County unveils $142.5 million six-year road program; bridges and Dike Road hinge on outside funds and permits

Cowlitz County’s county engineer detailed a six-year transportation program Thursday that lists about $142.5 million in projects from 2026 through 2031, with roughly $23.8 million estimated for 2026. County officials said nearly all 2026 spending is secured but funding for later years is much less certain and depends on federal and state grants, ARPA funds and permitting timelines.

Susan (county engineer) presented the program and an overview of the county road system. She said Cowlitz County maintains 527 centerline miles of road, about 70 miles (roughly 13%) in urban areas and the rest in rural areas; the county currently lists about five unpaved miles. The county inventory includes 68 bridges; 37 of those bridges are more than 50 years old and 13 bridges have load restrictions (about 19% of county bridges). She said the oldest structures date to the 1920s and 1930s, noting the Seattle Creek Bridge (Old Highway 99 South) was built in 1922, Barnes Drive in 1923 and the Toutle River (Old Pacific…