City of Ritzville asks state for Smitty's Boulevard funds

Re-design and then construction of a new intersection for Smitty’s Boulevard at Division and Bauman Streets will be dependent upon additional funding from the state.

City council member Scott Yaeger reported last week the city believes it will need more funds than it has to complete the design and construction of the project. The state’s Transportation Improvement Board has provided funding for the expense of consulting and engineering for the design of the project.

In March the city completed a consultant selection process and approved the hiring of Varela & Associates. The consultant was retained because the Transportation Improvement Board had already awarded the city funding for the Smitty’s Boulevard Project’s design phase.

During the city council meeting on Tuesday, July 19, Yaeger said the Public Works Committee is not moving forward on the project until it can determine if the TIB will increase funding for the project.

To date, the project has been awarded $655,874 from TIB through the Small City Arterial Program.

The estimated project cost is $728,750. The city has budgeted $72,876 to cover its share of the total project (10 percent).

According to the project narrative, the funding will be used to improve traffic flows through a multi-legged intersection.

“The intersection of Division, Bauman and Smitty’s Boulevard is difficult to navigate due to skewed angles, confusing or inadequate signage and sight distance issues,” according to the description of the existing conditions in the city’s funding application. “Smitty’s Boulevard is totally deteriorated with widespread alligator cracking. The roadway is not delineated from the parking areas. The uncontrolled access is confusing to drivers and pedestrians.”

A few years ago the City of Ritzville conducted a study at its own expense to identify design options, including the possibility of constructing a roundabout.

Yaeger said he believes the final project will cost more than what the city currently has funding for.

He suggested the project may ultimately need to be a phased effort.

“I don’t see it being built in 2012,” he said. “This is a complicated project.”