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Chehalis council adopts 2027–2032 Transportation Improvement Program to keep projects grant-eligible
Summary
The Chehalis City Council voted to adopt the 2027–2032 six‑year Transportation Improvement Program, a Washington State required plan that lists roughly $99.7 million in candidate projects and keeps them eligible for state and federal grants; adoption does not commit local funding tonight.
The Chehalis City Council on March 9 adopted the city’s 2027–2032 Six‑Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), a required planning document that lists proposed street, sidewalk and safety projects and makes them eligible for state and federal funding.
City staff told the council the TIP identifies projects by priority and estimates total project costs at about $99.7 million over six years. ‘‘Adoption of the TIP does not commit any funding tonight, but it is necessary to make our projects eligible for future state and federal transportation funding,’’ a city public‑works presenter said.
The presentation outlined prioritization factors including pavement condition, safety improvements, ADA compliance, traffic needs, coordination with utilities and grant potential. Staff said about 59.84% of anticipated project funding in the plan is expected to come from grants, roughly 39.81% from the Transportation Benefit District or similar local sources, and a small portion from the general fund. Staff highlighted several projects, including a citywide preservation (chip seal/hot‑mix) program, a Chamberway Bridge replacement feasibility study, reconstruction on South Market Street, and sidewalk infill along Parkland Drive to improve connections to parks and the pool.
Council members pressed staff on interim fixes for high‑traffic pinch points and on grant‑match assumptions. In response, staff said the city can pursue localized surface grinding and patching as a stopgap where full reconstruction is not yet funded and that some larger projects rely on matching funds that depend on the Transportation Benefit District (TBD) being renewed. One council member noted roughly $4 million of TBD funds remained unallocated in the staff spreadsheet.
The council moved to suspend the rules requiring two readings of the resolution and passed Resolution 26 to adopt the TIP. Staff will use the adopted plan when applying for state and federal grants; any specific project award or construction contract will require separate council approval where applicable.
Next steps: staff will pursue grant applications on priority projects, provide follow‑up on interim repairs where requested by council, and return to the council with project‑specific funding or design actions as they progress.
