The Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council (RTC) identified and prioritized over 50 transportation projects totaling $1.25 billion, and road preservation and maintenance needs of over $700 million that are needed over the next 10 years for the economic futures of our communities – and these projects span all four corners of Clark County.
Last fall, members of the RTC staff and planners from many of the cities in Clark County met with leaders from the business community and other larger community institutions to identify and focus our legislative efforts on the higher priority projects. A listing of these higher priority projects was adopted and supported by the leadership of Identity Clark County, the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, the Columbia River Economic Development Council and the Clark County Transportation Alliance. Among the projects in this list are:
- A new Ridgefield Pioneer Street Rail Overpass that will enable the development of a mixed use, 41-acre waterfront project that will bring new residents and businesses to that growing community.
- Improvements to the Battle Ground Main Street and SR-503 intersection that would significantly reduce congestion and the number of accidents occurring in this crowded intersection.
- The widening of SR-14 from Interstate 205 to 164th Avenue, and from SE 6th Street in to 32nd Street in Washougal and the widening of the SR-14 West Slough Bridge, to ease commuter congestion and facilitate future growth in Camas and Washougal.
- Make significant improvements to the Mill Plain/Interstate 5 Interchange and to Mill Plain Boulevard west of Interstate 5 to improve the flow of commuter traffic out of downtown Vancouver and to improve the flow of freight traffic out of the Port of Vancouver.
- New interchanges at NE 42nd and 54th Avenues on SR-500 would eliminate the last two stoplights on SR-500 between Interstate 5 and 205 on that busy corridor and ease congestion for all who use it.
Improvements to NE 10th Avenue from 149th Street to 164th Street and a new overpass at 179th Street and Interstate 5 would dramatically improve access to the Clark County Fairgrounds and Amphitheater, and would facilitate new commercial developments in that growing area of north Clark County.
These are just some of the projects that will help Clark County meet the needs of our growing communities over the next decade, and our needs don’t stop there.
State legislators in Olympia are considering a $12.3 billion, Transportation Revenue Package to fund transportation and related programs throughout Washington state over the next 10 years. If we are to continue to be a growing and thriving region, we need the strong support of our communities and must ask the members of our legislative delegation to advocate on behalf Clark County to help us get the funding we need for these and other key transportation projects as a part of any new transportation revenue package to come out of Olympia.
Paul Montague is the executive director of Identity Clark County, a private, nonprofit corporation with a focus on the economic health of the region.
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