Council to consider a bridge maintenance grant

By on Wednesday, August 24th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla City Council meets tonight (Wednesday) at 6:30 p.m. and will consider a resolution accepting a $1.5 million-dollar federal grant that will go towards maintenance of multiple bridges citywide.

A 13.5 percent match is required for design, however projects that authorize construction by December 2025 are eligible for 100 percent federal funding for eligible costs. If construction is authorized after December 2025, 13.5 percent local match is required.

Among the work proposed will be concrete repair, injecting epoxy in cracks, plus cleaning and replacing damaged steel reinforcement. These activities will help minimize further deterioration, prolonging the useful service life of the 10 bridges, including Second Avenue, Main Street, Colville Street, Otis Street, Merriam Street, Clinton Street, Wilbur Street, Myra Road, and Three Mile Bridge (Tausick Way).

All the previously mentioned bridges cross Mill Creek. The other bridge is at Pleasant Street which crosses Garrison Creek.

City staff intends to follow the schedule submitted in the grant application, soliciting a design consultant, obligating the federal funding, and beginning design and permitting in 2023, going out for construction bids in late 2024, and constructing the improvements during low stream flows in the summer of 2025.