Work is progressing on a new north-south arterial connecting the Fairgrounds and Salmon Creek neighborhoods just west of Interstate 5. The improvements to Northeast 10th Avenue between Northeast 149th Street and Northeast 154th Street will meet safety, design, speed and traffic safety requirements. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)Photo Gallery
Drivers using Northeast 10th Avenue have likely noticed new detour signs near the intersection of Northeast 149th Street. The intersection was closed beginning Monday and will remain closed throughout much of May.
The closure is part of Clark County Public Works’ yearlong 10th Avenue Creek Crossing improvement project, which has closed a quarter-mile stretch of the road between Northeast 149th Street and Northeast 154th Street.
Since June 2021, workers have been reconstructing 10th Avenue to include two travel lanes, a center left-turn lane, bike lanes and sidewalks, as well as a traffic signal at Northeast 149th Street. A new culvert was also installed at the creek crossing just north of Northeast 149th Street.
“There are two parts to it. The main road — 10th Avenue north of 149th Street — has been closed since last summer. That will stay in place until the project is completed, which is scheduled for the middle of June. This interim intersection closure is for 30 days,” Troy Piece, project manager for public works, said Thursday.
The detour takes drivers east or west on Northeast 146th Street and north or south on Northeast Fourth Avenue. A map of the detour route can be found on the county website at https://bit.ly/3EUTF1O.
Pierce said the project calls for the intersection to be raised by eight feet, with the remainder of Northeast 10th Avenue raised 15 feet.
“It would have been very difficult to do the work under traffic because the whole intersection has to be raised up,” Pierce added.
Other improvements include the construction of retaining walls, stormwater facilities and a sanitary sewer main and water main. Pierce said the road needed to be raised to meet safety, design, speed and traffic requirements.
A small number of homes and other properties along Northeast 10th Avenue will continue to have access to the neighborhood from the north, and through traffic will still use alternate routes for the remainder of the project. Alternatives include Northwest 11th Avenue to the west and Northeast 20th and Northeast 15th avenues to the east.
Tapani Inc. of Battle Ground was awarded the contract for the project, estimated to cost $8 million to $9 million. Approximately one-third of the project costs were paid for through a federal grant.
“They’ve done a lot of good work for the county and other entities,” Pierce said of Tapani.
Pierce said crews are on track to meet the June reopening deadline but noted weather delays are still possible.
“We’re getting close to where the weather doesn’t affect us as much but some of it depends on that still,” Pierce said.
Pierce also said there may still be some minor work to be done after the road reopens but he doesn’t expect that to impact drivers.
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