Funding is needed for second Moses Lake crossing

by Matthew Weaver<br>Herald Senior Staff Writer
| June 19, 2008 9:00 PM

Moses Lake, Grant County address WSTC

MOSES LAKE - The City of Moses Lake spent some time telling the state's transportation commission about the busiest intersection in Grant County.

Moses Lake City Administrator Joe Gavinski talked traffic with the Washington State Transportation Commission Tuesday as the state board met for a daylong meeting in Big Bend Community College's ATEC Building.

Gavinski said the city's biggest issue is the traffic coming off of state Route 17 onto Stratford Road across the Neppel Crossing onto Alder Street.

"I would dare say that this is probably the busiest intersection in Grant County," Gavinski said. "Carrying the greatest number of vehicles to points north, south, east and west."

Gavinski, Moses Lake Mayor Ron Covey, city Municipal Services Director Gary Harer, Grant Transit Authority Manager Greg Wright and Grant County Public Works Director Derek Pohle presented the city and county's transportation issues, challenges and priorities.

"Quite frankly, the City of Moses Lake does not have the bonding capacity to assess evaluation in order to be able to provide the funding to build that additional lake crossing," Gavinski said.

Covey said the city, Grant County and transportation coalition TransCo are discussing continuation of a transportation route off of the Hiawatha Road interchange to address a scenario in case something ever happens to the Interstate 90 crossing at the lake near the 176 exit.

Otherwise, traffic coming from Seattle would have to divert at George or go back to Dodson Road to Ephrata and then go along state Route 17 and back to Moses Lake to get back on the interstate, for medical services or groceries, he told the commission.

The city doesn't have active plans, Covey said, but is conducting a feasibility study to determine where exactly the crossing should be.

In considering which projects to support, commission Chair Richard Ford said it would at least show the state the area's voters feel the issue is important enough if they provide part of the funding toward the project.

He asked if the issue was important enough in Moses Lake for residents to be willing to "step up and be part of the solution."

"It absolutely is," Covey said. "I do believe if the citizens of Moses Lake were made aware of the fact that participation on their part to some degree was necessary to improve some of these projects, I don't think we would have a problem."