Grant to Pay Bulk of Cost for Highway 100 Beautification

The actual planting of native wildflowers, grasses and shrubs will be done in September to give them the best chances to thrive, Boyce told members of the Washington Area Highway Transportation Committee this week.

West was awarded the contract on the low bid of $665,793.83.

The project calls for constructing three landscaped median strips included in the base bid and an optional fourth median strip from a point east of Highway 47 east to the area near Brookview Drive.

The project also includes additional wayfinding signage and bike path markings along the shoulders.

The city was awarded a $604,823 federal enhancement grant for the project. The city’s match is $151,206 in local funds. The grant pays for up to 80 percent of the project cost, including the engineering and design work.

Project Scope

The base project involves median improvements along these sections:

• Far West — from a point west of the JCPenney store to the east for about 756 feet to Washington Heights Drive;

• West — from a point east of Washington Heights Drive for 250 feet to Camp Street; and

• East — from a point east of A. Roy Drive for a distance of about 760 feet.

• Far East an approximate 325-foot section to the west of Brookview Drive.

Plans call for most of the landscaped medians to be planted with native wildflowers and grasses that can grow from 1.5 to 3 feet tall. There also are areas where 3- to 5-foot-tall shrubs will be planted.

All of the landscaped areas will be irrigated.