Morris Road Southeast between 143rd Avenue Southeast to 133rd Avenue Southeast will soon undergo a major makeover thanks to the approval of a $3.2 million grant by the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
The County Road Administration Board Rural Arterial Program grant will upgrade the road to current standards and improve safety for more than 750 daily roadway users. Improvements funded through the grant will include road reconstruction, widening and paving of the shoulders, striping, upgrading drainage to current standards, removal of an existing fish barrier, horizontal realignment and removal of roadside hazards.
The reconstruction and widening of the road will provide two 11-foot travel lanes and two 5-foot shoulders. The estimated total project cost is $4,155,556, with the remaining cost funded by the County Road Fund.
The segment of Morris Road Southeast is classified as a minor collector and connects southeast county residents to Yelm and the rest of east county via state Route 507.
According to the project’s plans, the roadway is consistently settling due to groundwater flow from the adjacent floodplain, resulting in weak foundation soils. The settlement has undermined the roadway, resulting in safety and longevity concerns such as cracks, potholes and vertical drops. Additionally, no existing bridges are situated along the section of Morris Road, but a new concrete box culvert or bridge is expected to be necessary at the Yelm Creek crossing. A guardrail will be added at the crossing, roadway side slopes are to be flattened where necessary, and clear zone obstructions will be removed up to the right of way.
The last road improvements on this section of Morris Road occurred in 2008 between 110th Avenue Southeast and Yelm city limits.
The motion to approve the grant funds was unanimously approved by the county commissioners.
