Last paved in 2010, this stretch of highway is showing its age with signs of wear and tear with cracked and rutted pavement. Contractor crews will perform chip sealing, which will extend the useful life of the highway and provide travelers with a safe, reliable roadway surface for years to come.
Chip Seals (or seal coating, BST, Bituminous Surface Treatment) is the application of a special protective wearing surface to an existing pavement.
Why we chip seal
- To keep water from penetrating the road structure on paved surfaces.
- To fill and seal cracks and raveled surfaces of old pavement.
- To provide an anti-glare surface during wet weather and an increased reflective surface for night driving.
- To seal the pavement surface-minimizing the effects of aging.
- To provide a highly skid-resistant surface, particularly on wet pavements.
- The cost of chip seals is 15%-20% of the cost of traditional paving.
Additional improvements are being made along SR 4 thanks to a Bicycle and Pedestrian Grant received by the Town of Cathlamet and Wahkiakum County. These modifications include the installation of speed feedback signs, school speed zone signage, crosswalks at high volume locations, and Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons. All of these improvements will help raise drivers’ awareness to pedestrians and bicyclists crossing the highway, improving safety for all users.
The 25 miles of chip seal work will also add guideposts and restore lane markings extending the life of the roadway.
The highway modifications in Cathlamet will include:
- Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons and crosswalk system at Jacobson Road intersection
- Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons and crosswalk system at Boege Road/Columbia Street intersection
- Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons and crosswalk system at the intersection of Wahkiakum High School Road and SR 4
- Lowering the speed limit to 35mph from Una Ave to one-quarter mile past Columbia Street
- New school zone beacons will be installed at the intersection of Wahkiakum High School Road and SR 4
- Radar feedback signs will be installed at new speed limit locations
The chip seal project is funded from the federal National Highway Performance Program (NHPP) and the highway modifications are funded by a Bicycle and Pedestrian Grant received by the Town of Cathlamet and Wahkiakum County, totaling approximately a combined $4.7 million for both projects.
There are currently no related links for this project.
