Stratford crosswalk project moving forward

MOSES LAKE - A planned pedestrian crossing on Moses Lake's Stratford Road cleared a regulatory hurdle last week, moving the project closer to an August ground-breaking.

The Moses Lake City Council authorized a deviation to city streets standards, allowing two business driveways on Stratford to be shifted a few dozen feet.

This will accommodate construction of a new crosswalk and a pedestrian safety island on Stratford just north of Knolls Vista Drive, along with push-button-activated flashing lights similar to a state-installed pedestrian crossing on West Broadway.

The project is being fully funded through a $150,000 safety grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

Moses Lake City Engineer Shawn O'Brien said the WSDOT allocates a certain amount of money each year to address "problem areas" considered to be at high risk for pedestrian/bicycle/vehicle collisions. The WSDOT notified the city the Stratford, Knolls Vista section was eligible for the grant funding and the city's application was approved last September.

The city is now working through some final regulatory items with the WSDOT before getting a council nod to advertise for bids, O'Brien said. If all goes as planned the project will begin in early August.