101 paving project starts with sidewalks in Hoquiam

By Dan Hammock • February 25, 2020 4:30 pm
DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP A crew from Rognlin’s Inc. tears out an ADA ramp at the corner of Seventh Street and Simpson Avenue in Hoquiam Tuesday morning, the first step in the Highway 101 sidewalks and paving project that began this week. Upgraded ADA sidewalk ramps will be installed as part of the $5.6 million Department of Transportation project.
DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP A crew from Rognlin’s Inc. tears out an ADA ramp at the corner of Seventh Street and Simpson Avenue in Hoquiam Tuesday morning, the first step in the Highway 101 sidewalks and paving project that began this week. Upgraded ADA sidewalk ramps will be installed as part of the $5.6 million Department of Transportation project.

The $5.6 million Department of Transportation Highway 101 paving and sidewalks project — through Hoquiam and Aberdeen — began Monday. Tuesday morning, crews were removing the ADA sidewalk ramp outside Emerson Manor at the corner of Simpson Avenue and Seventh Street.

According to Department of Transportation spokeswoman Christina Werner, the work will progress from west to east, done by Rognlin’s Inc.

“In terms of flow, work begins on the west half and then progresses east toward Aberdeen,” she said. “We anticipate our contractor has roughly eight weeks of paving that is all dependent on weather.” The west end of the project is at the intersection of 5th and Simpson avenues. The east end is at the western end of the Heron Street Bridge at H Street.

During sidewalk construction pedestrians may find sections where sidewalks are closed and will have to cross Simpson Avenue while the shoulder closures are in place. City of Hoquiam work on most of the sidewalks along Simpson Avenue will take place alongside the Department of Transportation project.

“Paving will happen later this summer, including repairs to the Hoquiam River Simpson Avenue Bridge,” said Werner. “Crews need warmer, dryer weather conditions to pave.”

Werner said the majority of grinding and paving activities will take place at night, limiting traffic impacts as best as possible during the project. Drivers can expect single-lane closures throughout the project. The Department of Transportation expects work will wrap up in the fall, but it is weather-dependent.

“We will do everything we can to keep traffic moving and give the highway the face lift it needs as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” she said.

Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay said at Monday’s City Council meeting crews, also from Rognlin’s, working under the city contract will be removing and replacing sidewalks in conjunction with the ADA ramp replacement. He said about 80 percent of the sidewalks will be replaced through downtown to Myrtle Street, except for sections already in good shape, for example the stretch by the YMCA. The city’s cost of sidewalk replacement, along with repaving of 23rd Street, is more than $800,000, paid in part by a $500,000 grant.