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Council approves local-agency agreement with WSDOT for downtown design work; roundabout debated
Summary
Council approved a local-agency agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation to proceed with planning and design work; discussion focused on traffic volumes, a roundabout alternative and construction staging.
Benton City — The council voted to authorize the mayor to sign a local-agency agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation covering design work for a downtown intersection project.
Staff said the agreement covers design only; subsequent state and federal steps will follow before construction. Council members discussed current traffic volumes — staff cited roughly 19,000 vehicles per day at one crossing — and the benefits and tradeoffs of a roundabout versus traffic signals. A council member said a roundabout "is the most efficient way to keep the traffic moving, make it safe for pedestrians" while acknowledging short-term construction detours and one-lane work staging will be necessary.
Council members also pressed staff on regulatory paperwork and whether repeated contractor signatures and approvals could be simplified; staff said more agreements will be required to satisfy state and federal requirements. The council approved the resolution to move forward with design and asked staff to return with clearer process steps at the next meeting.
