Sprucing up town

WAITSBURG - The view on the Touchet River around the Preston Avenue Bridge, looks a little different after a vegetation removal project this week. The City of Waitsburg has requested the WSDOT to take actions to replace the Preston Avenue bridge, mitigate further damage, and prevent flooding. The WSDOT recently removed some of the overgrowth ane debries in the river around the bridge.

Karen Huwe

The WSDOT worked on the Touchet River bank around the Preston Avenue Bridge in Waitsburg.

Since the bridge is on Highway 12, it is owned by the state and overseen by WSDOT. The city does not have jurisdiction to replace or make improvements to the bridge. The state has no plans to replace the bridge, which was built in 1931 and the city continues to lobby for a solution.

An improvement the city could make without state involvement was the recent striping project to Main and E. 8th Streets.

The city crew was out early Monday and Tuesday to clean and repaint the white road lines and markings which will make it safer for pedestrians and drivers in town.

Next on the city docket is a water line improvement project and a meter project at the reservoir.