Montesano is embarking on sidewalk maintenance projects throughout the city’s business corridors in an effort to keep its citizens safe while walking around town.
“The city is prioritizing repair of potentially dangerous high-use sidewalks in the business corridors and other sidewalks that have been damaged by city infrastructure,” said public works and economic development director Mike Olden.
Olden said the projects have been in the budget for a few years, but the city is now in a place to get started on the work. The first sidewalk tackled by the project is on Main Street in front of Premier Realty Olympic Peninsula Inc., across the street from Bank of the Pacific.
“We’re excited to have any new construction. The other sidewalk was getting pretty old and was definitely a tripping hazard in some cases,” said Jason Atwood, owner and broker at Premier Realty Olympic Peninsula, Inc. “It definitely adds to the positive vibe of our company.”
The city will pay for the repairs to sidewalks with funds from the streets budget. The repairs are, in part, due to sidewalk damage resulting from city infrastructure, like the planting of trees. Some of the sidewalks are multi-use so it is difficult to coordinate which business would take up the cost. Olden said potential litigation is another reason the city is paying.
“Through the years court cases have been going against public entities when it comes to sidewalks, so from a liability standpoint cities have been upgrading sidewalks,” he said.
The city has $20,000 available for sidewalk construction this year, doubled from $10,000 in 2016. A total estimate for the project is unavailable, as the city is not yet sure of all the sidewalks they plan on tending to. However, Olden said the sidewalk repairs on Main Street will come to around $20 per foot for materials and $30 per foot for labor. The cost for sidewalk labor by outside contractors is bidding at $500 per foot. In an effort to save money, city labor is being used to complete the work.
“The most cost-effective way to take care of this issue is by using city crews between their routine maintenance duties,” Olden said.
Olden said the Main Street sidewalk repairs are the more time consuming work crews will take on. What makes this first project difficult, according to Olden, is its steep slope and its difficult transitions from doorways to the street.
“There’s a lot more detailed hand work,” he said.
Olden said the Main Street sidewalk was scheduled to get its final pour of concrete on Tuesday, Aug. 1, and that the sidewalk should be completed by the end of the week. Next on the city’s agenda is a stretch of sidewalk on Broadway Avenue between Main and First streets. Demolition work is expected to begin on that sidewalk as early as Aug. 3, with work continuing through next week.
“Some of these priorities have been set based on what staff and others have input as being dangerous sidewalks and we’re trying to prioritize places where there’s more hazard for the public,” Olden said. “We’re trying to take care of people.”
The city also is prepared to repair sidewalks in residential neighborhoods upon request if the individual requesting the work pays for the cost of concrete. Those interested in having residential sidewalks repaired can reach out to the Montesano Public Works Department.
