City road improvement plan remains the same

Improving the city's Western Gateway on West Railroad Avenue, and building two roundabouts on Wallace Kneeland Boulevard, remain the top three priorities on the City of Shelton's proposed Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan.

The Shelton City Council on Tuesday evening hosted its first public hearing on the proposed plan. The council is scheduled to vote on the document at its April 4 meeting.

No one from the public offered comments Tuesday.

The city's code states that the plan is designed "to assure that each city and town shall perpetually have available advanced plans looking to the future for not less than six years as a guide in carrying out a coordinated transportation."

The state Department of Transportation requires the city to formulate the plan; to list projects that are anticipated; list projects that have secured state or federal money, and those that have not; and allow WSDOT to create a list of projects for the statewide Transportation Improvement Plan. Federally funded projects must be incorporated into the state TIP before money will be disbursed to the city.

Once the council passes the plan, the city has 30 days to submit it to the state Department of Transportation.

The top 10 priorities remain the same from last year's plan.

In the proposed plan, the city lists improvements to its Western Gateway on West Railroad Avenue from Seventh Street to the city limits at Pacific Court as its top priority. The estimated project cost is $4,354,580, with the city paying an estimated $3,276,733.

Priority No. 2 is a roundabout at the intersection of Wallace Kneeland Boulevard and Shelton Springs Road. The estimated cost is just over $3 million, with the city footing the entire bill.

A roundabout at Wallace Kneeland Boulevard and North 13th Street is priority No. 3, and the city estimates it would pay for the entire project at $2.7 million.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

■ Priority No. 4, roadway improvements that include traffic signals on Seventh Street from Alder to Cota streets, an estimated $3.7 million, with the city paying all the costs.

■ No. 5, interchange upgrades at Wallace Kneeland Boulevard and U.S. Highway 101, with the city paying all the estimated $7.2 million.

The city would pay all the expenses on priorities six through 10:

■ No. 6, improvements that include pavement stabilization and sidewalks on Brockdale Road from Wallace Kneeland Boulevard to the north city limits, $1.5 million.

■ No. 7, Western Gateway phase C in west downtown Shelton, from Seventh to 12th Street, and from Alder to Cota streets, $2 million.

■ No. 8, road improvements that include pavement grinding and overlay on Olympic Highway North from K Street to Wallace Kneeland Boulevard, $1.8 million.

■ No. 9, road improvements on Olympic Highway North from C to K street, $4 million.

■ No. 10, road improvements that include pavement replacement, Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades and intersection improvements on West Railroad Avenue from First to Seventh Street, $4 million.