THIS PAST PHOTO of a portion of South Parkway Avenue shows some of the wear and tear on the roadway that causes it to be such a bumpy ride for motorists.
Rumor has it that Battle Ground’s South Parkway Avenue once served as a wagon trail.
Driving the road today makes that easy to believe. Improvements, however, are just around the corner, according to city officials.
The South Parkway Improvement Project, scheduled to begin this year, will address two distinct sections of South Parkway — Section A, the southern end of the project from Eaton to Rasmussen Boulevard, and Section B, the northern end from Rasmussen to Main Street.
Improvements to Section A, between Eaton and Rasmussen, necessitates complete removal of the current road’s base, at least 2 to 3 feet deep. It is suspected that the base of the road, when first constructed many decades ago, was lined with timber. Once the failing base has been removed, the roadway will be reconstructed, this time using modern engineering standards.
New features will be added including sidewalks on the east side, ramp upgrades, planter strips, bike lanes, lighting, a travel lane in each direction and a center left-turn lane.
Construction activities will include stormwater facilities and an upgrade to the water utility infrastructure.
The northern Section B, between Rasmussen and Main, will be less invasive. Unlike Section A, the base of Section B is not failing. A process referred to as “mill and fill” will be used to grind down the first few inches of roadway and then a new layer of asphalt will be laid. Sidewalk ADA ramps will be upgraded and some utility work will be completed.
The city anticipates construction will begin mid-summer of this year and will take approximately nine months to complete. South Parkway will remain open to traffic with some intermittent delays. It is recommended that non-local traffic take alternative north/south routes such as Grace Avenue or SW 10th Street (state Route 503).
The majority of funding for the $5.6 million South Parkway Improvement Project comes from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board, with two grants totaling just more than $4.3 million:
• WA State Transportation Improvement Board Grants: $4,305,216
• Battle Ground Traffic Impact Fees: $695,000
• Battle Ground Water Fund: $498,350
• Battle Ground Sewer Fund: $41,000
• Battle Ground Transportation Benefit District: $65,000
The city of Battle Ground invites the community to attend a South Parkway Improvement Project informational open house on Monday, May 9, from 5:30-7 p.m. in Suite 148 of City Hall located at 109 SW First St., Battle Ground. City staff will be on hand to provide information and answer questions.
Over the past several years, the condition of South Parkway has become a hot topic of discussion among residents who drive the road often and also among City Council members and city staff.
Since at least 2003, the city has applied almost every year for state Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) funds and federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds, and submitted federal appropriation requests during the last four years. However, all of these attempts to get funding over the last several years (until recently) were unsuccessful when competing with other projects in the Southwest Washington area with higher traffic volumes, accident rates and economic development.
Information about the project is also available online at www.cityofbg.org/S-Parkway and by following the city’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CityofBGWA. Questions may be directed to city staff by email at StreetProject.info@cityofbg.org or by calling (360) 342-5073.
