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Recent Progress
WSDOT and Lewis County are working with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to develop a Project Management Plan and a Design Agreement for this project. The USACE has limited funds available to prepare these documents. However, when these documents are completed, the project will be able to recover costs from the USACE as funds become available. The Scope of Work for project consultant, Pacific International Engineering (PIE), is being reduced, and WSDOT is coordinating with Lewis County on amending the consultant agreement.
PIE is continuing to research a low level by-pass at the Skookumchuck River Dam, but the new owner of the dam, Trans Alta, is not allowing PIE to access it. This situation is currently being reviewed by Lewis County and WSDOT. PIE is also working on designing the levees along Airport Road, Salzer Creek and the Skookumcuck River. WSDOT is requesting 100 year flood elevations along teh Airport Road levee location and at the Mellen Street interchange from Lewis County and PIE. This may be the first levee segment constructed.
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Design Construction Impacts
The USACE has indicated that, as a stand-alone project, the proposed dam modifications project would likely have no benefits for I-5, either in cost savings or reduced traffic delay. Further hydraulic modeling has been requested. Without direct benefits to the highway system WSDOT will not be able to contribute any "Nickel" gas tax money to this portion of the flood control project.
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Environmental Impacts / Compliance
The Chiefs report was signed on Sept. 27, 2004
The Lewis County / PIE River Mile 66 Habitat Enhancement Project has encountered significant resistance from the Chehalis Tribe and as such the RM 66 project may be cancelled. The USACE has stated they oppose this component and they did not include it in the GRR or FEIS.
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Impacts to Traffic
None at this time.
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