Wenatchee Gets Going On Pavement Preservation For 2024

The city of Wenatchee is moving forward with its ongoing Pavement Preservation project. 

The city council has approved negotiations with an engineering and architecture firm to work on the design phase of the project  

Wenatchee Public Works Director Rob Jammerman says there are a number of side streets scheduled for re-paving next year. 

"There's various residential streets," said Jammerman. "The largest of those, of course, is a complete overlay of Orchard (Ave.) all the way from Miller (St.) to Western (Ave.). So, that'll be the biggest one next year." 

The city has budgeted $2 million for the project, which involves removing the top layer of asphalt and replacing it with new asphalt. 

Jammerman says the process needs to start now, with the projects going out to bid next February. 

"We start design now," Jammerman said. "There's a lot of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) ramps we have to design for. We do corings (samples from an existing pavement) out there to make sure that our subgrade is adequate. So, it takes this time." 

The project will include work on curbs, gutters, sidewalks and driveways where it’s needed. 

It will also include pavement repair, crack sealing (placing an adhesive sealant into cracks on the pavement), signage, channelization (reconfiguring lane formations), property restoration and other associated work. 

The city council Thursday approved authorization for the mayor to negotiate with the firm KPG Psomas, Inc. for design services for 2024 Pavement Preservation, and also authorized the mayor to sign a contract on behalf of the City. 

The city's CPI, or Pavement Condition Index, shows a need to spend $4 million a year to keep up with wear and tear on the roads. 

Jammerman said he would likely approach the council at a later date to seek more money for road upkeep next year.