City puts Sixth Avenue Bridge on hold
By Terry Murry on Thursday, February 11th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The city of Walla Walla is moving ahead with a joint project to remove the Fifth Avenue Bridge and replace the Fourth Avenue Bridge over Mill Creek. The Engineering Division will apply for a Federal Highway Administration grant by the deadline of Feb. 19.
The city expects to learn if it will receive the grant toward the end of the year. If the award is given, the design work will begin with construction anticipated for 2023 or 2024.
The decision to hold off on plans for the Sixth Avenue Bridge are not being included in the project. City officials said that’s due to feedback received in its online survey. In the meantime, the city will also be looking for ways to increase pedestrian connectivity in the neighborhood, including adding sidewalks and ADA ramps. The city will also study the potential configurations for the closed roadways north and south of Mill Creek.
In about a year, the city will perform more public outreach in the neighborhood about the Sixth Avenue Bridge. It is possible that the city will apply for the next available bridge grant call for projects on that span in the spring of 2023.
