County passes six-year transportation plan

The Lincoln County Commissioners have passed the county’s six-year transportation plan that includes chip sealing 42 miles of county road and improvement work on the Miles-Creston road.

The six-year transport plan must be passed by the county commissioners every year and includes updates about which projects will be prioritized based on funding.

In 2021, three road maintenance projects will get started based on funding that is already secured for those projects.

Over 42 miles of county roads are scheduled for chip sealing, a project slated to cost $1.6 million. The project will be funded by $1.3 million of federal funds and $216,000 of local funds.

Lincoln County Public Works Director Rick Becker said the county’s schedule for chip sealing roads is always contingent upon funding, which often puts the county behind the standard schedule for the maintenance project.

“We can afford to chip seal roughly 30 miles of road a year and we have over 460 miles of asphaltic roads in the county. Roads like this should be chip sealed every 8 to 9 years, but we are currently able to get it done every 12 to 15 years, sometimes later,” Becker noted. “Chip seal costs are currently between $25,000 and $35,000 per mile.”

Along with the chip seal work, funding has also been secured to make improvements on nearly 5 miles of the Miles-Creston road including widening the road, upgrading the drainage facilities and adding guardrail as needed. The improvement project will be done in two sections at a total cost of $4.5 million.

Future projects

There are nearly 20 transportation projects listed in the six-year plan including the replacement of some bridges.

However, funding in the coming years is hard to predict as the impacts of COVID-19 have created shortfalls in the fuel tax usually received by the county.

“In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic we will receive approximately 85 percent of the Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax that we have receive in the past, for a $750,000 shortfall,” Becker explained.

During the shutdowns imposed by Governor Jay Inslee this year and “stay at home” orders, reduced travel also meant a reduction in fuel sales.

While county officials wait to see how the ongoing restrictions will affect future revenues, Becker said the county hopes to maintain its current infrastructure.

Although the schedule for chip sealing is extended beyond the recommended intervals, Becker said the gravel roads in the county are “doing very well.”

“The gravel roads in Lincoln County are doing very well compared to the asphaltic roads. They are also cheaper to maintain,” he noted.

Resource management

Determining which infrastructure to prioritize and how to fund needed maintenance is a challenge for the county every year, according to Lincoln County Commissioner Mark Stedman. However, the county works to be efficient with resources.

“Compared to some of our neighboring counties, our crews do a fabulous job with what they are given,” Stedman noted. “The cost of continuous maintenance is an issue every year, but we are making advances.”

Keeping costs low is a priority for Becker who said the public works department is often able to do things cheaper than the state average.

“The cost to chip seal roads in Washington is on average $40,000 per mile, but we are doing it at roughly $30,000 per mile,” he said.

The public works department currently employs 52 people, 40 of which are dedicated to the road division. The winter maintenance fleet includes 19 snowplows, 16 graders and 1 brine applicator.