Date:  Monday, May 19, 2008

Contact: Chris Tams, WSDOT Gorge Office, (360) 759-1310
Jeremy Wright, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2078 (Vancouver)

VANCOUVER – The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) invites the public to a project scoping meeting for the SR 502 Widening, I-5 to Battle Ground project. Guests will have an opportunity to comment on the project’s purpose and need as well as give feedback on the project’s scope. The public is invited to join the project team at an Open House on May 20 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Cherry Grove Friends Church located at 9100 NE 219th Street in Battle Ground.

At the scoping open house, the public will be able to view displays and talk to WSDOT staff about the project’s design, traffic impacts, median barriers and scoping process. Feedback about the project, associated concerns from the public are also welcome. There will be no formal presentations, so the public is encouraged to stop by anytime between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The purpose of this project is to increase safety and relieve congestion on SR 502 through the busy corridor between I-5 and City of Battle Ground. Local and regional growth demands on this corridor are putting pressure on local roads and creating unsafe driving conditions. The highway needs additional capacity to accommodate the increase in traffic. This project will look to widen SR 502 from two to four lanes as well as install a median barrier to help reduce the severity of collisions along the corridor.

Scoping is a step in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process where the scale, breadth, or “scope” of the project is determined. Results of scoping — including public input — give direction to the issues and impacts that will be studied and documented in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The 2005 Transportation Partnership Funding Package provided $79.8 million in gas tax money for completion of this project; an additional 7.8 million is being provided by the 2003 nickel funding package. The project is scheduled to begin in 2012.

For more information about the upcoming SR 502 Widening Project visit the project web page at: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR502/Widening or contact the WSDOT Gorge Office at (360) 759-1316 

                                                        ###

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information

Individuals requiring reasonable accommodations may request written materials in alternate formats, sign language interpreters, physical accessibility accommodations, or other reasonable accommodations by contacting Sylvia Ross at (360) 905-2058. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact the event sponsor through the Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1.

< Back to News Home