By Pepper Fisher
PORT ANGELES – The City of Port Angeles will soon get under way with the first of a two-phase project to redevelop the Race Street Corridor. The work, set to begin next Tuesday, February 21st and last through the end of the year, is designed to improve pedestrian safety and provide new opportunities for diverse modes of travel through the heart of town.
The Race Street Corridor, which extends from the Port Angeles Waterfront to the Olympic National Park, is one of the City’s most active arterials. When the two-phase project is complete, Race Street will connect the Olympic Discovery Trail and the Port Angeles Waterfront to the Olympic National Park Visitor Center by way of a new shared-use trail.
Beginning next week, construction will first focus on Race Street between East 8th Street and Olympus Avenue, south of the Park Visitor Center. The $4.9 million grant-funded project will include installation of a shared-use trail for pedestrians and other non-motorists, ADA ramps and crossing upgrades, along with new lighting and sidewalk widening. While they’re at it, they’re going to replace aging water mains.
During Monday through Friday working hours, traffic within the construction zone may be reduced to one lane and there may be temporary sidewalk closures.