Odessa awarded grant for $171,470

The Washington State Transportation Improvement Board has awarded the town of Odessa the sum of $171,470 for the installation of sidewalks on First Street from Fourth Avenue to Marjorie Street. The roadway in question has sidewalks in some portions of it but not in others. The project would ensure that the entire stretch would have sidewalks along both sides of the road. The route is used by many Odessa school children walking to and from school.

The route also connects the school to the ag shop used by students, to the community center and public library and the town park (and thus indirectly to the town’s pool).

According to the application attached to the award letter, the project will at the same time provide updated curb ramps and driveway drops to meet the standards of the Americans With Disabilities Act, and stormwater drainage facilities will be installed to prevent the ponding of stormwater along that route.

Six overhead street lights along the roadway between Third Avenue and First Avenue will also be replaced with LED street lights as part of the Relight Washington program that is also funded by the Transportation Improvement Board. Eventually, all of the town’s street lights will be converted to LED lights for a major energy saving in terms of the town budget.

Shoulders on the back sides of the sidewalks will be graded to match the existing grade, and the crosswalk at First Street and Marjorie will be enhanced for pedestrians.

It is estimated that 200 vehicles per day travel the route. The intermittent lack of sidewalks and proper drainage make it hazardous for pedestrians of all ages, so Odessa Mayor Doug Plinski and the town council members were very pleased to be able to apply for and ultimately be awarded the grant from the state board.