Stimulus project nearly complete
By JESSICA KELLER
ARGUS OBSERVER
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 11:14 AM PST
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| Work on North Oregon Street in Ontario will conclude in the next two to three weeks, which will mark the end of major street construction projects for some time. The city of Ontario, however, is working on other projects that should be coming up in the next couple of years. |
ONTARIO — Kathy Markee, manager of Dove’s Unique Boutique on North Oregon Street, said it is still day-to-day regarding progress for the improvements underway on the road construction project on North Oregon Street.
As of Tuesday, the construction company finished paving the corner of the side street, Northwest Fourth Avenue, near her business, but the access is still blocked off to her two entrances, leaving customers to enter from the back alley directly behind the business.
“It seems like they’re moving further along,” she said.
As far as North Oregon traffic, she said, it is moving smoothly, and there is no problem if people are traveling straight on the street.
Markee said, however, said it is a blessing her business has been situated in the same location for nine years because her regular customers are still patronizing the shop. If not, she said, the business would be in serious trouble.
The project, however, is nearing completion and should be on schedule to finish within the next two to three weeks, with the exception of power poles, which won't be installed until sometime in December, Ontario Assistant Public Works Director Bob Walker said.
The completion of the North Oregon Street work also marks the last major construction project the city will have for sometime, although preliminary work on a number of other ventures is currently under way.
Ontario Public Works Director Chuck Mickelson said the city is just waiting to sign an agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation to complete the engineering work on the planned $4.5 million Northwest Washington Boulevard realignment project, which will connect Northwest Washington to North Oregon Street. Following the design work completion, ODOT will have to secure right of way acquisition before the project can go out for bid.
The city will also receive an additional $1.2 million as part of the House Bill 2001 transportation money which will fund the Northwest Washington Boulevard project, to make improvements on East Idaho near East Lane. That funding will be combined with $800,000 in transportation impact fees collected from businesses in that area to make the improvements, Mickelson said. As part of that project, he said, an additional left-hand turn lane would be added on East Idaho at East Lane because that has been the site of significant back up through the years as the area has grown in use.
The second portion of that project will be repaving from the Snake River bridge down to near where the freeway entrances are. Mickelson said, however, that probably will not be ready to begin until sometime in 2011.
Two additional projects that do not have construction monies yet secured will be soon going out for advertising seeking qualified design firms. The first is the North Oregon Street second phase, which will connect North Oregon Street from Mallard’s Corner to where Northwest Washington Boulevard will be realigned.
The second project is the Southeast Second Street freight route from East Idaho to Southeast Fifth Avenue.
Each of the projects have been budgeted through the design phase in this past budget cycle, but neither has funding identified for their completion.
Ontario City Manager Henry Lawrence said, when the budget was being drafted, there was still some talk of further stimulus money becoming available for projects, but he hasn’t heard anything lately. Regardless, he said, if the projects are designed and on the shelf, it is easier to secure funding.
“It’s always helpful to go out for grants if you have something on the shelf,” he said. “And these are projects that we need to do anyway, and we’re going to be pursuing those.”
