PORT ANGELES — Clallam County will build a link between Washington Street and Grant Road west of Sequim to help ease traffic congestion.
The two-year agreement with the city includes the resurfacing of River Road between U.S. Highway 101 and Washington Street.
Sequim City Council members have approved the agreement, which county commissioners approved Tuesday.
The estimated cost to the city for the road link is $256,000. Resurfacing for River Road will cost about $92,000, Clallam County Utilities Manager Bob Martin said.
The original estimate for both projects was $600,000.
“The city will be engaging the county, essentially, to provide a road link between west Washington and Grant just east of the county shop,” Martin said.
“Within that project, we’ll also be relocating an irrigation line connecting the [city] sewer to the county shop and doing some other utility-related things that are necessary for the road,” he added.
“We’ll also be granting the city an easement for a portion of the county property that they needed for the road, as well as for the relocated sewer line.”
A previous easement that expired in 2009 will be renewed, Martin explained.
The county will design and build the short road. Sequim will pay the county from revenue from a transportation improvement levy Sequim voters passed in 2008.
“I’m excited about having this partnership to work with the county on this project,” said Paul Haines, Sequim public works director, during the commissioners’ work session on Monday.
Haines said city residents have expressed strong interest in seeing the levy-related transportation projects.
City voters approved the two-tenths of 1 percent sales tax increase for transportation improvements over the next 10 years.
“I’d like to say, just from my own observations, that this is a really needed road link because if you’ve ever tried to make a left turn out of Applebees or a left turn into Applebees, you’ve got that suicide lane in the middle,” Martin told commissioners.
“This will help relieve some of that traffic pressure in that area.”
Courthouse restoration
The three commissioners also opened four bids for the county’s historic courthouse restoration project.
Last year, the county received a 50 percent matching grant from the state Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation to finish the decade-old project.
Bids came in from Mukilteo-based Advanced Construction ($324,500), Port Angeles-based Aldergrove Construction ($360,548), Poulsbo-based Drury Construction ($381,000) and Carlsborg-based Primo Construction ($390,555).
The bids were referred to the facilities department for analysis.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.