Washougal River Road will be closed for update construction for two and a half weeks
WASHOUGAL — Washougal River Road will be closed for construction between E Street and Shepard Road starting June 3 and going through June 21.
Construction will replace the roadway surface with new asphalt as well as provide utility improvements and ADA curb ramp upgrades. The roughly $315,000 project is part of routine road maintenance, and is expected to conclude on time, the city says.
“We go through a pavement condition report, annually, and the report showed that this was one of the major arterials that needed to be reconstructed,” said Rob Charles, the deputy director and city engineer for Washougal. “We’re trying to knock it out, as we’ve been given budget by our city council. So we’re hoping to get this one off the list for a god 20 years.”
Starting on the first Monday of June, the section of roadway will be detoured, with work happening from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Detour signage for traffic will be placed along the route, with a reader-board on SR-14. Businesses or residents in the affected area, will be able to access their driveways via side streets.
“We want to keep our routes safe,” Charles said. “And efficient for what freight, perhaps, does move in north and south of the city.”
These updates come alongside the first phases of an even larger construction plan for 32nd Street, just one exit down SR-14. There, the at-grade crossing with the BNSF rail line will eventually be redone to improve safety and traffic congestion.
“If this leads to some enhanced development along E Street or even the downtown area … that would be great. People can see we’re making an investment in the infrastructure,” Charles said. “That would be an added bonus.”
