Construction for Roy crosswalk delayed indefinitely

During a study and work session before the Roy City Council meeting on Monday, May 12, Mayor Kimber Ivy informed present council members that construction for the city’s new crosswalk across state Route 507 had been delayed indefinitely.

“Councilmembers, today we had our regularly planned crosswalk meeting, and we were notified that the funding that we needed for construction has now been moved to 2030,” Ivy said.

Skillings, the city’s engineering firm, has been helping Roy design the plans for the crosswalk with input from the Washington state Department of Transportation.

Ivy said the city had hoped to start construction in June. She noted that the state’s operating budget had not yet been signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson.

“I spoke with (Rep.) Matt Marshall today and will be discussing with Representative (Andrew) Barkis what next steps need to look like and who I need to speak to about hopefully getting the funds that are allocated to us in the award letter moved back to the 2025-2027 years, which we had planned on, and begin construction this year,” Ivy said.

Otherwise, Ivy said, all of the documentation and work that has been done thus far will have to be redone when those years come closer.

“So hopefully our local state representatives and our senator and our governor will be able to hear us and have the flexibility to be able to shift that back,” Ivy said.

Ivy added that it would be a waste of state money and the city’s time and resources if construction is delayed.

The crosswalk is, in part, intended to help Roy students get to the elementary school safely.

During the council meeting, John Hnatishin, Skillings utility manager, provided additional context about the planned “rapid flashing beacon improvements” across state Route 507 (and) Higgins Greig Road.

“As you heard before the meeting started, the state legislation has pushed the construction funding out to future status,” Hnatishin said. “I heard 2030 get thrown around a little bit. It’s actually an indefinite pushout. So, it’s not specifically 2030.”

Hnatishin noted that plans for the crosswalk are at a “near-completed level” and emphasized those plans won’t go away.

“They’ll be here with you guys, and you’ll have those,” Hnatishin said. “What will happen in that period, whenever that construction funding can be obligated — that’s the key word is that the construction funding cannot be obligated until that future date — the standards and specifications that we designed to may have changed in that period of time, so those would be the things that we would need to look at again.”

“The design is still relevant and real,” Hnatishin added.