Awaiting Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature later this month, the U.S. 101 East Sequim Road Project appears to have funding — eventually.
The project looks to improve safety from Simdars Road to Happy Valley Road along U.S. Highway 101 and was included in the approximate $17 billion “Move Ahead Washington” transportation package that spans a 16-year funding cycle.
About $30.5 million is earmarked for the project that could include complete on- and off-ramps at Simdars Road, construct frontage roads from Palo Alto Road and Happy Valley roads to the new interchange, and add new landscaping and art along the corridor.
“We’re thrilled,” Sequim city manager Matt Huish said in an interview. “It’s been a long time coming and to get on the list is a big deal.”
As to when it’s set for construction is unknown though, he and other state officials say.
“We want to be higher on the project list,” Huish said. “Sixteen years is a long time. We’ll do our best effort to push for it as soon as possible.”
The Simdars interchange was left complete in 2000 by the state after funding fell short after the Sequim bypasses were installed along the highway.
Local municipalities, including the City of Sequim, Clallam County and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, have advocated for years to see its completion.
At the Sequim city council’s March 14 meeting, city lobbyist Davor Gjurasic said he didn’t expect the legislature to pass the transportation package in a short session.
“It’s pretty incredible they got it done,” he said. “It’s great news.”
Gjurasic said the $30.5 million is more than they requested, and that local legislators (state representatives Steve Tharinger and Mike Chapman and senator Kevin Van De Wege) were “crucial in helping us get those funds.”
Looking ahead, he said it’s unlikely it’ll receive funding in the first year as projects left incomplete from the Connecting Washington effort will be up first.
Sequim’s project still requires pre-design work by the Department of Transportation’s engineers before it can be considered “shovel ready” and put into a construction queue.
Gjurasic said the House and Senate aren’t increasing gas rates for the package but rather using for the bulk of funding a combination of funds from the state’s operating budget and its Public Works Trust Fund account that helps cities and counties with low interest loans.
“That might change,” he said. “They might look at a different funding source [as, with] 16-year packages, they can change things.”
Survey says
From Jan. 27-Feb. 10, WSDOT engineers opened a pre-design study survey with 14 suggested improvements, including possible roundabouts and rerouted roads on and along the highway. WSDOT planners previously said the survey will help guide recommended improvements to be revealed in May.
They received 824 online responses.
Surveyors chose a frontage road from Palo Alto Road to Simdars Road as the most important improvement and completing the on and off ramps at the interchange as the second most important.
Proposed roundabouts at Happy Valley and Palo Alto Roads were some of the least popular options, according to survey results.
Surveyors’ biggest concern was traffic entering and existing Palo Alto Road safely.
Leaders with the City of Sequim, Clallam County and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe signed a joint letter to the state advocating for the project and encouraging the completion of the Simdars Road interchange and creating frontage roads from Palo Alto Road and Happy Valley Roads off the highway.
W. Ron Allen, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal chair/CEO, said in an interview they supported the effort because “the highway is getting more and more intense.”
“It makes more sense to start transitioning the access to Highway 101 in a safe way,” he said.
Allen said Palo Alto was less of a concern generations ago when there was less traffic.
“It just makes more sense to us that access off Simdars is much, much safer,” he said.
The tribe sought to improve highway safety similarly in 2017 at its own expense in Blyn for more than $6 million, Allen said, by consolidating the Chicken Coop Road intersections into one and closing the Zaccardo Road intersection and realigning it to intersect with Chicken Coop Road off the highway.
The tribe continues to investigate safety improvements in Blyn, Allen said, including a two-lane roundabout on the highway.
For more about the U.S. 101 East Sequim Road Project, visit wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-studies/us-101-east-sequim-pre-design-study.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Department of Transportation recommendations will come out in May for the U.S. 101 East Sequim Road Project that could include a frontage road from Happy Valley and Palo Alto roads to Simdars Road. The bypass is likely also slated for completion after it was left incomplete in 2000.
