Transportation affects us all - our lives and livelihoods depend on an efficient transportation system. Our present system has served us well, , but was constructed to accommodate a population of the past and is quickly reaching its service limits.
Issues associated with safety and mobility prompted the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to develop a Route Development Plan (RDP) for U. S. 12. The RDP defines issues and concerns of the citizens along the route and makes improvement recommendations for inclusion in WSDOT's Twenty year Multimodal Plan. The plan will assist designers of future highway improvement projects by providing them with guidelines for their work.
A Stakeholders Group was formed in the summer of 1998 to define issues and concerns and recommend improvement strategies for inclusion in the RDP. The Stakeholders Group included representatives from city and county governments in Thurston and Grays Harbor Counties, the Thurston and Grays Harbor Regional Planning Organizations, Transit Agencies and WSDOT. Three public workshops (one in Rochester) were conducted in September of 1998 to present the Stakeholder Group's recommendations and solicit comments from the public on the Draft RDP for U. S. 12.
WSDOT has incorporated all the public comments into the DRAFT RDP. Two of the primary strategies recommended for U. S. 12 between the Thurston/Grays Harbor County Line and Interstate 5 in Thurston County are widening the highway to a four lanes divided highway and implementing Access Management. Access management improves highway safety and reduces congestion by regulating the number and spacing of driveways and intersections, providing a median to separate traffic flow and managing turning traffic to help reduce the number of accidents, while at the same time, maintaining reasonable access to businesses and homes.
Recommended Improvements for U.S. 12 between the Grays Harbor/Thurston County line and Interstate 5 include:
Widening U.S. 12 from 2 lanes to four lanes with divided median from Anderson Road (MP 38.5) to the vicinity of the Red Apple Grocery (MP 141.5 0)
Widening U. S. 12 from 2 lanes to 4 lanes with a two way left turn lane from Albany Street (MP 41.88) to east of the Rochester Post Office (MP 42.50 vicinity), and Widening U. S. 12 from 2 lanes to 4 lanes with divided median from east of the Rochester Post Office vicinity (MP 42.5) to Interstate 5 (MP 46.62).
In order to provide reasonable access to U. S. 12 median breaks for turning movements would be provided at: Anderson Road, Moon Road, Forstom Road, 183rd (with relocation of Paulson, Roseberg, and Holt Streets directly across from 183rd), Denmark Street, Joselyn Street( with relocation of Old State Route 9 and Huntington Street directly across from Joselyn Street), Pecan Street, and Elderberry Street/Old Highway 99 SW.
Individuals requiring reasonable accommodations may request written materials in alternative formats. Sign language interpreters, physical accessibility accommodation, or other reasonable accommodations may be arranged by contacting Nita Jackson at (360) 357-2675,
This page created and maintained by Chehalis River Council
Send comments or questions to the: Chehalis River Council