County engineer requests signatures to obligate $1.95M in state funds for Tower Road/Rock Creek bridge replacement
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Cowlitz County Engineer asked the board to sign a contract‑readiness form to obligate $1,950,000 in Department of Commerce funding for the Rock Creek/Tower Road replacement and to approve a final temporary easement; construction expected in 2026 with a 2–3 month road closure.
County Engineer Susan Eugenis asked commissioners to authorize the chair to sign documents that will allow the county to obligate $1,950,000 in state funding for replacement work on the Rock Creek (Tower Road) culvert/bridge.
Eugenis said the county installed a temporary bridge after a washout and has now obtained the last remaining temporary easement needed for the project. She requested two signatures: a contract‑readiness form to trigger the Department of Commerce contracting process for the $1,950,000 award and a property document reflecting the secured easement. "This will get them to write up the contract, and then we can obligate that funding," Eugenis said.
She told the board the plan is to advertise and construct the replacement as soon as practicable in 2026 and warned the project will require a 2–3 month closure of Tower Road while crews remove the temporary structure and build the new crossing. Commissioners indicated support and staff confirmed the chair may sign the two documents so the county can proceed to obligate funds and prepare for next year’s construction schedule.
No formal roll‑call vote was recorded on the signature authorization in the transcript; staff reported a verbal green light for the signatures.