Project Facts
- Almost 22,000 newsletters and surveys were mailed or handed out. We have received almost 1,000 surveys and comments to date.
- The Plan will cover over 24 miles, including urban 5-lane sections to 2-lane rural sections.
- Over 1 Million vehicle trips per year use the Francis/291 roadway between Monroe and Maple.
2008
The SR 291
Route Development Plan was completed in August 2006. The document was finalized following public input from open houses, draft reviews, and wrap-up meetings with the WSDOT Eastern Region Steering Committee and SR 291 Advisory Group. Thanks go out to the many citizens, community groups, and public entities that contributed to this RDP process.
Why is WSDOT
Performing an SR 291 Route Development Plan?
Route Development Plans (RDP’s) are planning studies on state highway facilities. These studies identify deficiencies and recommend improvement solutions to accommodate future transportation needs. The studies include analysis of operating conditions, environmental issues, population and land use changes, customer needs, as well as right-of-way and other issues affecting the future of a state highway and its neighbors.
Route Development Plans serve as a tool for discussion, utilized to facilitate integration of the needs of the Department of Transportation with the needs of cities, counties, traveling public, and other stakeholders in the development of transportation solutions. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is developing a Route Development Plan (RDP) for SR 291 from Francis/Freya (MP B-2.48) to the Scotts Valley Road intersection (MP 22.31).
The primary goal of the RDP is to identify deficiencies and propose feasible solutions
The End Result
Planning at the WSDOT is a continual, evolving, and flexible process that seeks to facilitate the development and implementation of sound and innovative strategies, incorporating the dynamic issues and needs that face our transportation system.
The goal of WSDOT planning is to create an integrated transportation system capable of supporting a vital economy while maintaining sensitivity to the surrounding environment and promoting a positive quality of life. We endeavor to accomplish this goal by integrating the needs of WSDOT with those of stakeholders.
Project Benefits
This project seeks to create a community consensus on the most challenging problems and the best solutions on SR 291 now and over the next 20 years.
Past RDP's have resulted in short-term safety projects and funding of design for long-term solutions like additional lanes and interchanges.
What is the project timeline?
The project started in July 2004 with the formation of the 291 RDP Steering Committee and the first Advisory Group meeting. Four Listening Posts were held in the last two weeks of August, 2004. All results and feedback to date have been tabulated, and the RDP team is finishing phase 4, which includes revising conceptual solutions, if needed, completing the RDP, and presenting final conceptual design alternatives to stakeholders.
Public Involvement
Your thoughts and opinions are important to us. Interested citizens should contact the Planning Manager's Office listed below or Eastern Region Public Affairs at (509) 324-6015. Click here to view detailed schedules and upcoming public involvement plans.
A public mailer was sent out in early August to residents and businesses near the project area as an invitation to the four Listening Posts. It included a survey and an opportunity to provide general comments. We have received nearly 1,000 comments as a result of this survey.
We continue to take comments through our feedback and updates page.
Environmental Protection
Our Planning efforts seek to balance the needs of safety and economic benefits from highway improvement with the affect those improvements may have on the environment. WSDOT strives to implement projects in an environmentally responsible manner.
Please visit the WSDOT Environmental
Services Web site for more information.
Increasing safety is one of our priorities
The portion of this study from Division to the Stevens County Line is part of a Corridor Safety Project. As with the Safety Project on US 2 through Airway Heights and SR 904 from I-90 to Cheney, this involves coordinating with local and state law enforcement as well as public awareness campaigns designed to reduce collisions as quickly as possible.
The RDP will incorporate the findings from the Corridor Safety Project into the short-term solutions. Detailed collision history will also be reviewed for the entire project to find safety problem areas and help identify possible solutions.
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.
The Spokane Tribe has been consulted in this process and has been invited as a member of the Advisory Group.
Financial Information
This planning effort is being paid for by general WSDOT Planning funds. Funding for future improvements identified through this process will be sought at that time from the most appropriate sources.
How can I get more information?
Contact:
David Dean, RDP Engineer
2714 N. Mayfair
Spokane, WA 99207
(509) 324-6000
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