The Hoquiam City Council approved the city’s 6-year transportation improvement plan at their Monday meeting, which includes potential improvements to Grand Avenue at Sunset Drive that could include the installation of a roundabout.

The intersection is problematic because five roads come together all within about 100 feet of each other.

The study includes the installation of sidewalks along Grand Avenue from Sunset Drive to Lincoln Street, the stretch that runs east of the Sunset Drive intersection on the south side of Elton Bennett Park, and repairs to that stretch of roadway where sections are sloughing off into the park.

The initial study “has received federal transportation funding through the Grays Harbor Council of Governments and will begin design work within the next year,” said City Administrator Brian Shay. Total cost of the project is estimated at $300,000.

Transportation plans are simply a list of priorities and it doesn’t mean the city is committing to everything on the list. The plan is required for cities to become eligible for federal funding, explained Shay. Qualifying roadways include truck routes, major intersections and areas with high traffic volumes.

Another high priority on Hoquiam’s list is repairs to Broadway Avenue between 16th Street and Woodlawn Street at the city limits to the north. The goal is to shore up an unstable bank on the east side of the Hoquiam River and, hopefully, widen the road to make it safer for pedestrians.

The cost of the initial engineering phase on Broadway is $150,000, the majority of which will come from a federal transportation improvement fund, though it does require a 13.5 percent match, which will either come out of the general or street funds from the city. The entire project would last through the end of 2023 and have a price tag of about $2 million, paid for by federal funds minus the matching requirement paid by the city for the initial phase, about $30,000.

All told, there are 23 projects in the city’s plan, ranging from intersection safety issues to the construction of a new bridge at Woodlawn to major stabilization and construction projects.

Roads dominate meeting

Two public safety committee recommendations were considered at Monday’s council meeting. One involved replacing the yield signs at 27th Street and Aberdeen Avenue with stop signs. Hoquiam Police Sgt. Jeff Salstrom told the council his department had been identifying some of the more dangerous intersections in the city, “and this was one of them.” The council approved the recommendation unanimously.

The second was a change to the existing 72-hour parking limit on city streets. The language was changed slightly to say a vehicle cannot be parked in the same spot on the street for more than 72 hours consecutively, and that after that period of time the vehicle must be moved at least one car length.

After some discussion, the council passed the ordinance with all but Councilman Dave Wilson voting yes. Wilson has said the 72-hour limit should not apply to homeowners.