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NEWPORT – The city of Newport is planning for major infrastructure improvements including a road overhaul and wastewater treatment upgrades.
A wastewater treatment plan comes in three phases: General facility sewer plan, engineering to scope of costs, and finally construction.
Newport is in the planning stage including finding the funds for construction that estimated to cost $40 million.
City Administrator Abby Gribi said it could take up to ten years from planning to construction.
“There have not been improvements in over 20 years. Our improvements will last another 20
years,” she said.
Gribi said the upgrades will help with the city’s industrial growth and housing development.
“There have been discussions for a future 96-unit apartment building, and we have a lack of housing stock,” she said.
It’s the hope that the plant upgrades will create more jobs by supporting future business development, said Gribi.
The wastewater treatment plant’s full capacity is 500,000 gallons a day, Gribi said, which also poses a safety concerns with heavy rain filling old brick manholes.
“This pushes the plant to the maximum,” she said.
She did state that there are always drawbacks to growth.
“There are roads to plow, and water to consume,” Gribi said.
Newport was also awarded a grant from the Washington State Transportation Board, the funding for the grant program coming from statewide gas taxes.
The money will be used to make improvements to city streets this summer varying from chip sealing and crack sealing to full depth recycling and patch repairs.
Streets targeted for improvements include Cass Ave.: Hwy. 2 - 1st St., Spokane Ave.: Hwy. 2 - Ash St., Larch St.: Hwy. 20 Spokane St., W. Quail St., S. Union: W. 5th St. - W. 8th St., S. Newport Ave.: W. 5th St. - W. 8th St., S. Fea Ave.: Hwy. 2 - 1st St., W. 6th St.: S. Union - State St., and 7th St.: S. Union S. Newport Ave.
The grant is for $134,976 with a City match of $7,104 for a total of $142,080.
“The city will be doing the work in house and will hire a temporary employee to help with the project,” Gribi said.
She said there is no official start date but is hopeful it will begin midto late June and finish by the end of the year.
“There will be a few detours and road closures when work is being completed,” Gribi said.
