Problem stretch of Marcy Avenue getting a complete rebuild

By Dan Hammock • July 19, 2018 7:00 pm
DAN HAMMOCK | TWIN HARBORS NEWSPAPER GROUP A look east along Marcy Avenue in Montesano taken July 16. Two blocks between South Main and River Street South have long been a maintenance headache for city street crews and are getting a complete rebuild over the next month or so.
DAN HAMMOCK | TWIN HARBORS NEWSPAPER GROUP A look east along Marcy Avenue in Montesano taken July 16. Two blocks between South Main and River Street South have long been a maintenance headache for city street crews and are getting a complete rebuild over the next month or so.

With the East Pioneer Avenue project completed, the City of Montesano’s Public Works Department has switched its focus to a steady maintenance headache of a stretch of Marcy Avenue, according to Public Works director Mike Olden.

“We’re completely rebuilding Marcy Avenue from Main Street to Sylvia Street,” he said. “The piece between South Main and River Street has really been a maintenance headache.”

The major overhaul will be a complete overhaul of the street, including sidewalk, curb and gutter replacement and street paving, along with new storm drains, said Olden.

“They’re going full bore on it now, they started last Monday (July 9),” he said. “It’s scheduled to go through the end of August.”

There are detours in place, with plenty of options for getting around the work area, north of the blocks with the El Rancho and Gepettos restaurants, the fitness club and NAPA Auto Parts.

“We have quite a bit of flexibility in there to close it off for the project,” said Olden.

Other sections of Marcy Avenue have seen better days, having taken the bulk of the Pioneer Avenue East paving project detour traffic for the majority of the long construction period, which just ended a few weeks ago. At the July 9 meeting, the City Council voted to amend the city’s 2018 transportation plan to include specific language to address the problem spots on Marcy, which should make the project qualified for state transportation funds for repair. A week later, the status of this potential project is still up in the air, according to Olden.

DAN HAMMOCK | TWIN HARBORS NEWSPAPER GROUP The intersection of Marcy Avenue and South River Street in Montesano is now covered in steel plates as contractors begin a complete rebuild of Marcy Avenue between South Main and South River.

DAN HAMMOCK | TWIN HARBORS NEWSPAPER GROUP The intersection of Marcy Avenue and South River Street in Montesano is now covered in steel plates as contractors begin a complete rebuild of Marcy Avenue between South Main and South River.