On an all gray day, the red, white, and blue was prominent at a bridge/path dedication in Corvallis on Veteran’s Day.
The American Legion, veterans, Corvallis Civic Club, Bitterroot Woman’s Club, and Corvallis Schools all participated in the ribbon cutting to complete the project on Willow Creek Road West.
The new gracefully curved sidewalks and extra wide bridge provides pedestrians a safe way to get to school and town.
- Michelle McConnaha reporting for kpax.com
(from August 11, 2009) It used to be precarious to walk to town along Willow Creek Road. Walking space (the space between the ditch and heavy traffic) was minimal. But, graceful curving sidewalks now reside where there was just a ditch and weeds - making the walk to Corvallis from the east safe.
"It will provide a much safer way for kids to get to school from all these housing areas," said Tonia Bloom, Corvallis Civic Club member and grant writer.
The Corvallis Civic Club is once again the impetus behind the change. Leveraging monies from a developer (offsite mitigation funds) to be the local 13% required match this proposal activated the federal Community Transportation Enhancement Program funds.
Corvallis is an unincorporated town which means there are no tax dollars for maintenance and repairs.
"Corvallis was founded it 1864 by the first Settlers and plotted in 1881," said Carol Peterson, Corvallis Civic Club member. "It's interesting how it's never been incorporated and it's amazing how things get done. We have a very caring Community."
The Corvallis Civic club has done much for the pedestrian projects of the community; the East Street Bridge, the bike path to Woodside Bridge, and now this project of sidewalks from East Side Highway to Tefft Street.
"We're trying to retrofit Corvallis as people move in and traffic increases," said Bloom. "We want to increase the infrastructure to help the walk-ability and riding paths."
"It's a good walk-able community," said Peterson. "We have schools, a post office, drug store, groceries, gas, beauty shops, hardware, auto parts, restaurants, one bar and four churches - which is different for a small community."
"This is a big improvement for Corvallis" said Greg Dowdy, owner of Specialty Excavating the contractor for the job.
Dowdy estimates a mid-September completion date on this project. In addition to the sidewalks along Willow Creek Road, a pedestrian bridge will be built on the south side to cross Willow Creek Ditch. "We're just waiting for the water to go down in the ditch before we can work on the bridges," he said.
Also, the county has decided to replace the automobile bridge over the Willow Creek Ditch and that will include pedestrian passage on the north side of the street. It also probably means some road closure time this fall.
Not stimulus money, not money that had to be fundraised for years, this project was just a year-and-a-half in the making thanks to the Corvallis Civic Club, County Commissioners, and Community Transportation Enhancement Program.
The CTEP has funded many other bike/walking paths in the Bitterroot; Corvallis to the Woodside bridge, Stevensville and Florence.
Bloom added that the Corvallis Civic Club will prod the action on getting the pedestrian/bike access to cross at the Woodside Bridge over the Bitterroot River - completing the trail.
- Michelle McConnaha reporting for kpax.com
