205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 08/27/2014 - ELLENSBURG, WA (August 26, 2014) – The average citizen gives very little thought to the roads they drive on every day, until those roads are washed out in a flood, closed for repairs, or otherwise rendered impassable. Your local county road crews perform essential services by maintaining those county roads. Our crews have been ditch cleaning, brushing, sweeping, patching and chip sealing this year. In addition they have repaired bridge decks, replaced and cleaned culverts, and completed some flood control work.
CHIP SEALING AND ROAD STRIPING Over 72 miles of County roads were chip sealed by the experienced County crew in July. Then they moved on to the city streets of Ellensburg and chip sealed selected city streets. Prior to chip sealing and directly afterwards, road striping was re-applied so that the markings will be fresh and very visible. KITTITAS HIGHWAY The Public Works engineering staff has been busy also. The Kittitas Highway Safety Improvements Project is currently out to bid with bids due in our office by 10:00AM on September 18, at which time bids will be opened. Bid openings are always exciting and this $4 million project bid opening will certainly have us on the edge of our seats as the figures are read out from each sealed bid. RESCUE BOAT FACILITY Public Works led the effort to construct a new building to house a Kittitas County Sheriff’s rescue boat for Columbia River rescue work. The structure is located off of Boat Ramp Road at Vantage, and Steel Structures America was the winning bidder for construction. Construction is complete and the building is ready to go. WESTSIDE ROAD The Engineering department is working on safety improvements to Westside Road in the Upper County, including widening the 22’ roadway to 28’ wide, slope cutting, pavement overlay, embankment filling and guardrail installation. Trees located in the right of way may be removed if necessary for sight distance and safety improvements. The project will begin at mile post 2.19 and end at mile post 4.12. NO 6 ROAD Safety improvements are also planned for No. 6 Road from milepost 3.59 to milepost 5.10. This project will rehabilitate No 6 Road to continue reconstruction improvements made from milepost 2.61 to milepost 3.59 in 2005. This route is the shortest route for residents east of Ellensburg to I-82 and SR-821, directly connecting Interstate 82 at its intersection with Thrall Road and all major east-west arterials between the cities of Ellensburg and Kittitas. No. 6 Road provides access to logging, recreation, ranching areas, growing residential areas, farming areas, I-82 and SR-821. The scope includes widening the pavement from its existing width of 20 feet to 28 feet (11 foot lanes and 3 foot shoulders). The BST (bituminous surface treatment) surface will be paved with HMA (hot mix asphalt). The shoulders will be improved to either have a 4:1 slope or guardrail will be added. FLOODPLAIN COORDINATION WORK Public Works employees have been busy coordinating and managing the county’s floodplains. The county recently joined the Community Rating System program which will reward most flood insurance policy holders within the unincorporated county with a discount. The county is also working with FEMA to update the flood insurance rate maps. Educating landowners on their responsibilities and regulations within the floodplain has also been a priority. The county has also applied for numerous grants to acquire property, conservation easements, perform flood hazard reduction projects, and complete flood hazard and habitat assessments. The Yakima River Assessment, studying the reach between Hansen Pits and Ringer Loop, will be completed this fall, and the Naneum, Wilson, and Cherry Creek Watershed Assessment will be beginning. EMERGENCIES Public Works employees also help with emergency situations, such as the recent Snag Canyon and Cle Elum Ridge wildfires, providing traffic control, signage, debris removal, survey work, assessments and Emergency Operations Center staffing. CELEBRATING PUBLIC WORKS WEEK In June Public Works employees participated in “Touch-a-Truck” with the City of Ellensburg, letting kids explore County owned heavy equipment at Rotary Park in Ellensburg. This event is always a fun job for the road crews and the smiles and excitement from the kids is very contagious. More information on activities can be obtained by vising the Public Works website at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/public-works/default., or by calling the Public Works Department at 509-962-7523. When approaching a road construction zone please remember to slow down and give the equipment and workers plenty of space!
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Contact: Kirk Holmes, Kittitas County Telephone: (509) 962-7523
