Public involvement
Your thoughts and opinions are important to us. An open house was held in March 2009 to give WSDOT an opportunity to present refinements made to the project design and answer any questions the public may have regarding the I-5, Mellen Street to Blakeslee Junction project.
WSDOT held an open House in October 2008 to present design changes and receive public feedback on the proposed Collector/Distributor lanes (.pdf, 141kb) for the I-5, Mellen Street to Blakeslee Junction project.
Three other public open houses were held in 2006 to solicit feedback from the public. On March 7, WSDOT introduced the project to the public and asked for ideas and suggestions. The May 9 open house focused on issues and options at the Mellen Street interchange. On December 5, WSDOT provided an update on the project, presented proposed improvements to I-5 as it is widened between Mellen Street and Grand Mound, and asked for comments from the public on alternatives to improve the Mellen Street interchange.
In June 2006, WSDOT convened a Sounding Board of representatives of local jurisdictions, major institutions and other stakeholders to provide input and community perspectives throughout the design phase.
In April 2008, WSDOT convened another Sounding Board (.pdf 610kb) committee consisting of representatives from local jurisdictions, major institutions and other stakeholders to provide input and community perspectives on the alternative analysis for providing collector distributor lanes between Mellen St and Harrison Ave Interchanges.
Public involvement efforts related to this project first began in 1992, when WSDOT started work on the I-5, Toutle Park Road to Maytown Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Multiple open houses and public meetings were held in August 1992, April 1994 and January 1997 as part of the development of the EIS. The project did not move forward at the time due to a lack of funding at the state level.
Additional public involvement opportunities will be available during the environmental and design phases of this particular project, so that residents and property owners can review and contribute to the project's plans prior to construction. WSDOT will keep the public informed about the progress of this project and any public involvement opportunities through mailings, this Web page and the local media.
For the latest public involvement meetings in southwest Washington, visit the Southwest Region's Public Involvement page.
Increasing safety is our priority
As traffic levels increase on this section of I-5, safety problems are expected to grow. This project will help address these potential problems.
Environmental protection
WSDOT makes every effort to assess and minimize environmental impacts from our projects. In 2003, WSDOT completed an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the I-5 corridor between Toutle Park Road in Cowlitz County and Maytown in Thurston County. This EIS evaluated alternatives for widening this section of I-5 to a six-lane divided highway; improving, widening or replacing various interchanges, bridges and overcrossings in the area; relocating frontage roads; and other improvements.
In addition, specific environmental impacts related to construction will also be analyzed and, if necessary, WSDOT will develop an appropriate plan for mitigation of impacts as part of its usual environmental documentation and permitting processes.
For environmental information specific to this project, please contact Barb Aberle at (360) 905-2186, or e-mail AberleB@wsdot.wa.gov.
Will this project impact tribal resources?
At WSDOT we seek to address the concerns of the tribal nations using the process outlined in Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and the WSDOT Tribal Consultation Policy adopted in 2003 by the Transportation Commission as part of the WSDOT Centennial Accord Plan.
This project lies within the usual and accustomed areas of the Cowlitz and Chehalis Tribes. WSDOT has initiated consultation with appropriate tribal governments and will continue to consult with the tribes throughout the process.
For more information visit our WSDOT Tribal Liaison website.