Hermiston Prepares for Final Stage of North 1st Place Roadway Upgrades
The Hermiston City Council approved a $3 million contract with Nelson Construction at its February 27 regular meeting to complete extensive roadway upgrades on N. 1st Place.
The project includes the demolition and rebuild of N. 1st Place between Hermiston Avenue and Elm Avenue, adding a 10-foot-wide asphalt pathway on the east side of the road, and filling in nearly 3,000 feet of sidewalk on the west side. It will also add curbs and gutters while clearly designating business driveways along the length of the project.
The walking pathway on the east side of the roadway will include landscaping of crushed rock, bunch grasses, trees, and Bollard lighting similar to the low water-use landscaping in the downtown core and establishing an inviting corridor into the central business district.
“This project has been a long time coming and will be a much-needed upgrade for Hermiston’s north/south vehicle and pedestrian traffic,” said Assistant City Manager Mark Morgan. “With the contract approved, we will begin working closely with Nelson Construction to develop timelines for construction and to communicate the impact on businesses and motorists. It’s a very large project, but the result will be a more drivable and walkable city with updated roads and utilities.”
The work is expected to begin this spring and will continue through the summer and fall. Large sections of N. 1st Place will be closed during the project, including a limited duration closure of the N. 1st Place and Hermiston Ave. intersection.
As an earlier stage of the project, N.W. 3rd Street was paved to act as a detour during construction. Detour information will be updated as the project develops.
This work will be paid for through $4.5 million in transportation funds from the State of Oregon awarded to the City of Hermiston in 2017 and designated for use in 2023, with no local funding required. The City will work closely with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to use any remaining funds to enhance the targeted area of the project.
“We certainly want to thank our legislative delegation for their assistance in securing the funding for this transformational project for the Hermiston community and downtown businesses,” Morgan said. “Representative Greg Smith and Senator Bill Hansell were critical partners in making this project a reality.”
The N. 1st Place Roadway Improvement Project is part of the Capital Improvement Plan, a five-year infrastructure development plan that coordinates public works projects. The road work has been completed with updates to aging water and sewer lines to reduce costs and impact on the public. All projects can be found at www.hermistonprojects.com.
