Washington Street overlay set to begin in late April

Project begins annual effort to pave the full thoroughfare

In late April, crews will begin a pavement overlay along a portion of West Washington Street that City of Sequim staff report to be the lowest quality portion of the street in the city.

Contracted companies will work up to four weeks starting Monday, April 25, to rehabilitate portions of the thoroughfare from the River Road roundabout to the Ninth Avenue roundabout, according to city staff.

Construction includes placement of hot mix asphalt, milling, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramp construction, road striping, traffic signal video detection installation and more, city staff said.

Companies contracted for the approximate $742,000 project include Lakeside Industries, PR Systems, G & G Inc, Interwest Construction and Olympic Concrete Cutting.

Depending on weather, they’ll work 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday (except for 8 p.m.-6 a.m., May 2-5).

Delays, localized closures and detours are anticipated during these hours with local residents provided access to their roads, city staff report.

They advise residents to heed flaggers, cones, construction signage, equipment and vehicles.

Sequim project engineer Katie Cole said there will be alternating traffic with one lane always open. Crews plan to start the night work near residential areas and will work away from them to limit disruptions, she said.

In April 2021, the city received a Surface Transportation Block Grant worth $633,180 from Clallam County’s 2021 Regional Federal Fiscal Year fund for the project. The city will use the remainder of the costs for the project from the city’s Real Estate Excise Tax funds, staff report.

Public Works director Sarah VanAusdle said the project was advertised for bid on Oct. 4, 2021, and awarded to Lakeside Industries on Nov. 24, 2021.

She said the project was delayed due to federal requirements of no paving allowed from Oct. 1- March 31. However, the bid packet provided for construction this spring, VanAusdle said.

Last April, former public works director Matt Klontz said this stretch of West Washington Street from River Road to Ninth Avenue was last paved in 2002. He added that its pavement condition index (PCI), a national rating engineers use to estimate a road’s condition based on various factors, is 56, and the lowest of Washington Street compared to its eastern portions (rated 71).

Previous city staff estimates bring the total to pave all of Washington Street to about $6 million with no estimate given for needed curb ramp and sidewalk improvements.

VanAusdle said overlaying Washington Street is a progressive annual project set with the concept that it all needs rehabilitation.

“Staff continues to provide budget authority annually depending on available grant funding and progress with rehabilitation until the entire corridor is complete,” she said.

“It is possible that a budget amendment (for the project) might be needed for 2022.”

For more information on the project, call Sequim Public Works at 360-683-4908.