Small Town News

City's 6-year Transportation Plan gets approval

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SR 3 Park and Ride on wish list

The Shelton City Commission on Monday evening gave preliminary approval to its 6-Year Transportation Plan (TIP) for 2017-22.

The state Department of Transportation requires each city to annually update its plans.

The plan lists 39 proposed projects in the city. They include creating a Park and Ride lot at downtown Shelton's northern entrance, adding sidewalks near Evergreen Elementary School and upgrading the Wallace Kneeland Boulevard/U.S. Highway 101 interchange.

The TIP can be passed as part of the common consent agenda at the commission's work session at 2 p.m. Monday at the Shelton Civic Center.

Mayor Gary Cronce stressed that the plan is "not set in concrete — this is a look-ahead."

The TIP is used by local agencies to prioritize their transportation plans, and to inform the state Department of Transportation on what projects to anticipate. Federally funded projects must be incorporated into the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan.

Shelton resident Marilyn Vogler was the only resident to comment on the proposed plan Monday at the public hearing. She urged the city to consider "daylighting" Shelton Creek as part of a proposed sidewalks improvement plan on Franklin Street between Fifth and Eighth streets.

Vogler also encouraged the city to make a citywide truck route to accommodate Sierra Pacific Industries vehicles a priority.

Of the 39 proposed plans, only the first 11 proposed projects have estimated costs. The most expensive is $3.2 million for road widening, channelization improvements and signals at the Wallace Kneeland Boulevard interchange with U.S. Highway 101.

A projected $2.5 million project at Front and Kneeland streets would include widening, drainage, sidewalks, lighting, channelization, landscaping, turning radius improvements and culvert replacement.

Other proposed projects include city-wide maintenance overlays ($240,000), chip and fog seal citywide ($240,000), improvements on Franklin Street that include replacing the sidewalk capping Shelton Creek ($345,000), the construction and improvements to sidewalks near Evergreen Elementary School and other additions ($509,596), city entryway improvements at state Route 3 and Pine Street ($150,000), a Park and Ride lot at state Route 3 and Pine Street ($200,000), new traffic signals at Alpine Way/Shelton Springs Road/North 13th Street ($200,000), pavement stabilization and replacement and ADA access upgrades on Railroad Avenue West from Seventh to 12th streets ($580,000), and pavement stabilization and replacement and ADA access upgrades on Railroad Avenue from First to Seventh streets.

Commissioner Tracy Moore reiterated that she is concerned about the proposal to replace the First Street bridge that crosses Goldsborough Creek in downtown Shelton. The proposal includes creek bed stabilization, deck widening and channelization.

Moore said she wants the city to consider alternatives to replacing the bridge, which is listed on the National Historic Register. She added, "I'm also very much in favor of daylighting creeks."



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