6th Avenue improvements could begin next year

While improvements to 6th Avenue have been pushed to next year, the road will someday be in much better shape — above and below the surface. While discussing the Transportation Improvement Plan for 2013-18, the City Council’s Public Works Committee pointed out that three projects for 6th Avenue are taking place in three different years. The City Council voted to combine the projects at its Wednesday evening meeting.

POULSBO — While improvements to 6th Avenue have been pushed to next year, the road will someday be in much better shape — above and below the surface.

While discussing the Transportation Improvement Plan for 2013-18, the City Council’s Public Works Committee pointed out that three projects for 6th Avenue are taking place in three different years. The City Council voted to combine the projects at its Wednesday evening meeting.

A force main and more than 3,000 feet of piping under 6th Avenue will be replaced, and the city will then move ahead with stormwater improvements for 6th Avenue from Hostmark to Fjord. The city will add a rain garden and improve pedestrian and vehicle traffic at the five-way intersection just east of 6th Avenue at the same time.

The sewer projects are budgeted at approximately $30,000 for the force main, and $700,000 for the pipe replacement. The city received a $276,000 grant from the Department of Ecology to reduce polluted runoff with stormwater measures — rain gardens and curb extensions — and will use another $60,000 in its reserves. The five-way intersection — Hostmark, Lincoln, 4th, Fjord and Front — is estimated at $330,000. Assistant Public Works Director Andrzej Kasiniak did not have an estimate of what the project will cost all together, but did tell the council there could be a decrease in its cost.

The council also approved the Transportation Improvement Plan for 2013-18. The plan reduces the city’s projects from 21 to 12, reducing the expenses from $18 million to $13.2 million.

The list is prioritized, but is not required to be completed in order:

1. Lincoln Road/Laurie Vei Loop/Noll Road

2. Noll Road Improvements (305 to school)

3. Finn Hill Improvements (Olhava to WCL)

4. 3rd Avenue Improvement (Hostmark-Iverson)

5. Transportation demand management

6. Liberty Bay Waterfront Trail

7. 4th Avenue Sidewalk

8. Mesford Improvements

9. Languanet Improvements

10. 8th Avenue Improvements (7th -Hostmark)

11. Citywide pavement restoration