RIDGEFIELD — Changes are coming within the next three years to Main Avenue to make pedestrian and bicyclist access to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge easier and safer.
The project is a partnership between the city, the wildlife refuge, Clark County and the Federal Highway Administration. Funding for the project will come from a $3.1 million grant through the Federal Lands Access Program.
“The project is a tribute to the fact that we can work together,” Ridgefield Mayor Ron Onslow said. “We have the federal, county and city working together to make this better for the residents, for the fish and for the refuge.”
The issue with the current setup is once Main Avenue reaches the end of Ridgefield city limits, the road narrows and the sidewalk ends, so anyone trying to walk or bike to the refuge has to navigate a tight, winding two-lane road. Within city limits, the road is 35 feet wide with a sidewalk, and outside of the city limits, the road is 25 feet wide with no shoulder or sidewalk, said Steve Stuart, Ridgefield’s city manager.
“It’s a dangerous stretch of road that is being used now, but not safely,” he said.
The project calls for construction of around 2,200 feet of multi-use pathway connecting the end of the sidewalk to the Carty Unit at the refuge, near Northwest 291st Street, and excavation of embankments to the north of the walkway and extensive fill along the south.
Another part of the Main Avenue improvements will see the removal of a culvert in Gee Creek, which has made the creek a flooding hazard during heavy rain. The culvert also prevented fish passage, so removal is expected to restore that.
Instead, the path will include a bridge over Gee Creek, which will stand slightly higher than the Main Avenue road grade so as to be higher than the 100-year flood elevation.
Improvements to Main Avenue have been in discussion for more than two years, Onslow said.
“It’s been a cohesive partnership,” Stuart said. “We’re a small city. We don’t have the resources to put forth proposals like the county and the refuge.”
The partners hosted an open house Thursday to discuss the project with the public. Mike Traffalis, project manager with the Federal Highway Administration, made the brief presentation and answered questions.
“Everyone is real positive on it,” he said. “The broader community and city council see the value of it. The refuge is looking forward to providing better connectivity to downtown.”
With the completion of the walkway, people will be able to park downtown in Ridgefield and walk to the refuge. The refuge is also adding a trail around Carty Lake to connect to the new pedestrian bridge.
“It’s a big asset to the refuge for visitation, but a big asset to the community as well,” Traffalis said.
The meeting marked the start of the initial studies and public input part of the project, which is expected to run through this year. Stuart said engineering and design are expected to take place next year, with construction expected to start in early 2018 and finish by fall of that year.
It’s something Onslow said he’s hoped to see for a long time, as his daughter walks with her children along Main Avenue to get to the refuge.
“Can you imagine a mother with a stroller walking there? Where do you go?” he said. “This is all about safety and access to the refuge, which is an absolute jewel in the community. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
