The Woodland City Council approved a contract Monday, Sept. 15, that pushes the Gun Club Road improvement project into its next phase, signing off on an agreement with Jeffries Construction to carry out the long-awaited upgrades.
The decision authorizes Mayor Todd Dinehart to sign a Washington state Department of Transportation (WSDOT) agreement, which locks in the federally-funded construction contract. The project’s construction is supported by a total of $1.41 million in Surface Transportation Block Grant funds, with Woodland contributing a $220,643 city match.
Gun Club Road has been a priority for Woodland officials for years. The 0.6-mile stretch, running between state Route 503 (Lewis River Road) and F Street, lacks continuous sidewalks on the east side and has limited bike facilities despite being a well-traveled route for families, students and commuters. Plans call for a full sidewalk on the east side, bike lanes on both sides, ADA-accessible ramps, stormwater improvements and a road overlay.
Councilmembers voted unanimously to award the contract following a competitive bid process that drew 14 companies. Jeffries Construction emerged as the apparent low bidder.
“The opening of the bids was last week,” Woodland Public Works Director Riley Bunnell explained. “This contract then takes it back to WSDOT. WSDOT will do a formal review of Jeffries because there is WSDOT grant funding there.”
Councilmember Terry Hall asked about the construction timeline, noting the 80-day window to complete the bulk of the work.
“There was no questions about the 80-day construction window,” Bunnell said. “We do expect there to be a slight delay due to weather for the grind and overlay portion. So they're planning to come in, do the right of way acquisition, do the sidewalk, bike lane, and then come in in the spring and do the rest of the paving.”
Bunnell also addressed concerns about traffic disruptions around North Fork Elementary School, which sits near the project corridor.
“That is going to be kind of a juggling act,” Bunnell said. “They're well aware of the construction window (and) will be in contact with the fire department, police department and the schools to do alternative routes during construction times and mitigate those construction windows to not interfere with the school window as well.”
The Gun Club Road improvements have been in development for over three years, with federal grants first secured in 2021 to cover the bulk of the cost. The council most recently advanced the project in July when it approved a $266,000 contract for construction management and inspection services. Those services are funded primarily by federal grants, with a $36,000 city match allocated in the 2025 budget.
Construction is expected to begin later this year, starting with the installation of sidewalks and bike lanes, before weather-dependent paving resumes in spring 2026.
