Road repairs are coming

Drivers know they’re in for a bumpy ride on Olympic Highway North in Shelton.

A smoother road is closer to reality after the Shelton City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to accept a $3.7-million state grant to reconstruct the highway between C Street to Wallace Kneeland Boulevard.

The council can make the grant acceptance official with a vote at its April 2 meeting.

Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2025. The city plans to pay for it with the $3,688,752 state Transportation Improvement Grant, a previous safety improvement grant of $380,000 and $29,852 in city money.

The city report states Olympic Highway North “has been identified as a failing collector roadway with potholing, rutting and other asphalt failures that have impacted the drivability of the corridor due to heavy traffic and years of service that is reaching the end of its useful life.”

“The roadway continues to degrade due to heavy traffic volumes,” the report continues. “With these grant resources and minimal match money required, this is a tremendous opportunity for the city to repair this critical section of the city transportation system and stop its continued degradation.”

Aaron Nix, the city’s capital projects manager, told the council much of the money will be spent on asphalt. A bike lane will be also be constructed, one of the requirements to receive the grant, he said.