Jacob Dimond / jake@yelmonline.com
The City of Yelm’s Public Works Director, Cody Colt, presented to Yelm City Council on Tuesday, June 14, on the numerous projects set to be constructed or maintained in the department’s six-year transportation improvement plan (STIP).
Colt noted the projects included are intended to begin over the next six years, barring any issues with project funding. He said STIP determines how much the City of Yelm is expecting all of its planned projects to cost, and described it as a “very complicated formula” to create traffic facilities charges.
“If we had an infinite amount of money, we’d get all of these done over the next six years,” Colt said. “That’s not the case. Sometimes, things will have to take priority over other projects. A lot of these have been on our transportation plan for multiple years.”
The first project in Yelm’s STIP highlighted was the planned roundabout at Morris Road and Bald Hill Road, which Colt said is currently in design. He noted that in 2027 when the project’s construction begins, the project itself will disappear from the active STIP list.
The second STIP project highlighted by Colt was the Coates Avenue NW connector, which will span from Killion Road to Cullens Road.
Colt also highlighted the intersection of Longmire Street NE and Yelm Avenue, at the intersection near Gee-Gee’s Quilting. He claimed the City of Yelm recently conducted an intersection control evaluation (ICE) and said that area will likely see a roundabout installed at that intersection.
“(ICE) has been done so we can start on that roundabout whenever,” Colt said. “Most likely, what’ll happen is when projects come in like Tahoma Ranch behind the medical plaza, they’re going to pay into that about $1 million. That’s going to be able to fund this project and we’d start on this project.”
On the topic of improvements at Mill Road and SR 507, Colt said the City of Yelm just went out to bid for the Mill Road realignment project. He said these improvements include widening the intersection, adding sidewalks and a turn lane.
Additionally, he said Yelm received bids for the project last week and that the project would be brought forward to Yelm City Council at the end of the month. Colt added that all of the bids came in under budget, with the lowest bid itself sitting at just over $1 million.
The project was originally budgeted to cost $1.4 million.
With the Mosman Avenue SE Phase 3 project — which will expand Mosman Avenue from Second Street to Fourth Street — Colt said it’s a priority due to its proximity in the downtown region of Yelm.
“This is on our STIP. Every year we apply for money to try and get this road punched through because it’s our downtown focus over here,” Colt said. “That’s a project that we keep collecting money for and will eventually do, but we keep applying for money every year for it.”
Additionally, Colt expects a roundabout to eventually be constructed at NP Road, Wilkensen Road and Canal Street. When the Yelm Bypass eventually connects to Wilkensen Road, Colt anticipates this region being heavily driven on.
“There’s three industrial parcels that we’re bringing to council to rezone at the next meeting,” Colt said. “Though once those parcels develop as residential, they’ll probably have to do some sort of improvements at that intersection and I’m guessing it’s some kind of roundabout that will bring those three roads into each other.”
Colt claimed the Rhoton Road reconstruction project will begin next year. He claimed that the project is fully funded and will drop off Yelm’s STIP in 2027.
“As things drop off the STIP, we bring new things on to the STIP,” Colt said. “The money every year fluctuates how much we can collect. It can go up. It can go down. It’s just based on what kind of projects we have on here. We added a couple this year. That’s why the transportation impact fees went up this year.”
Additionally, the roundabout project at the intersection of SR 507 and Bald Hill Road will also begin in 2027, in conjunction with WSDOT. Colt noted this project has been in planning for several years, and will serve as one of several projects that help alleviate traffic throughout the Yelm region.
There is also a realignment project planned for the intersection of SR 510, Burnett Road and 93rd Avenue, near Get Fit Yelm, Northwest Grind and Steele Barrel Barbecue. Colt anticipates some sort of realignment project to take place, and assumes it will be a roundabout.
“If you’ve been there, taking a left out of 93rd is kind of crazy and not safe,” Colt said. “Taking a left out of Burnett is the same. This project will realign those intersections.”
Several new projects on Yelm’s STIP were also highlighted by Colt during the meeting. With the recent annexation of unincorporated Thurston County land, Colt said several new connector streets will be constructed, including one from Vancil Road to Morris Road.
Colt claimed the new road would be constructed right up to before Morris Road and would be punched through to create an urban arterial road — featuring three lanes and a middle turn lane.
Additionally, an extension of 105th Way, behind Yelm Terra near Clark Road, is also planned in the STIP and likely to happen. Instead of a dead ending, 105th Way would now punch through to Mill Road.
Colt will present this information to the council at a meeting at a meeting later in July.
