Submitted by The City of Olympia
New highway access ramps are planned at two locations on US 101 to provide better access to the west side of Olympia. The ramps would reduce traffic congestion at the intersection of Black Lake Boulevard and Cooper Point Road, improve access to medical facilities, businesses and residential areas, and provide route options for all travelers in the area
The public is invited to an open house and environmental scoping meeting on Wednesday, June 24, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the South Puget Sound Community College Student Union Building (Building #27) 2011 Mottman Rd SW, Olympia. The meeting will provide attendees an opportunity to learn about the proposed improvements, share suggestions about what environmental topics should be evaluated and help identify potential environmental impacts and benefits of the project. A presentation will kick off the event at 6 p.m., and informational materials will be available on a drop-in basis. Information will also be available on the City’s website.
Background
In 2010, the City of Olympia and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) partnered on a West Olympia Access Study to evaluate the street and highway systems on Olympia’s west side. The study evaluated how well the street network supports the diverse transportation needs of the west side now, and what changes will be needed in the future. The study recommended new ramps be constructed to/from US 101 at two locations:
- Kaiser Road: a westbound off-ramp and eastbound on-ramp.
- Yauger Way: an off-ramp extension in the westbound direction at Black Lake Boulevard that would connect to Yauger Way.
Recent analysis identified a more cost-effective design variation that could reduce original project cost estimates by about half. This variation maintains the same connection points at Kaiser Road and Yauger Way, but eliminates a previously proposed bridge structure.
Next Steps
Several steps must be completed before the project can be designed and constructed:
Environmental Assessment – Analysis of potential impacts to the environment associated with construction of the improvements, expected to be complete in early 2016.
Interchange Justification Report (IJR) – Report documenting the traffic analysis, environmental impacts, and preliminary design of the improvements, also expected to be complete in early 2016.
Project Funding – Construction of the planned improvements is currently not funded. Following approval of the IJR and Environmental Assessment, the City will seek funding to prepare final design plans, purchase additional right-of-way, and construct the improvements. Preliminary cost estimates based on the design variation indicate the project will require about $40 million in 2015 dollars to complete. Construction of the improvements may be as much as ten years in the future due to the significant project cost.
More Information
For additional information, visit the City of Olympia’s website olympiawa.gov/WestOlyAccess or contact Project Manager Randy Wesselman, Olympia’s Transportation Engineering and Planning Manager, atrwesselm@ci.olympia.wa.us or 360.753.8477.
