Thurston County to ‘permanently’ close road near Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester area
Thurston County will soon “permanently” close 188th Avenue Southwest between Moon Road Southwest and Lucky Eagle Casino’s employee parking lot near Rochester.
The action, aimed at improving safety, was approved after much discussion and a public hearing earlier this month.
The closure will go into effect at 2 p.m. Nov. 4, according to a county press release. In multiple public discussions this month, Thurston County traffic engineer Matt Unzelman has explained what led to the proposal to close the road.
A 2012 regional transportation study, completed in response to a high number of serious-injury and fatality crashes, recommended roundabouts be installed where U.S. 12 intersects with Anderson Road and Moon Road, according to Unzelman. State Department of Transportation outreach five years later prompted community concern that casino traffic would bypass the roundabouts via county roads.
After WSDOT evaluated traffic patterns, the agency recommended the closure of that section of 188th to prevent traffic from bypassing the now-complete Anderson Road roundabout while eliminating the need for a roundabout at Moon Road, according to Unzelman.
Eliminating the second roundabout will save the state $1.2 million in construction costs, according to county discussions. Construction work to close the road is expected to cost less than $150,000, according to the county’s press release, with funding from WSDOT. The work includes a turnaround at the intersection of Moon Road and 188th Avenue.
The closure is projected to reduce collisions by 70% at the intersection, according to Unzelman, traffic volumes on Moon Road are expected to drop from more than 3,100 vehicles per day to fewer than 500, and left-turning traffic from the highway onto Moon Road is expected to drop significantly.
Before the county’s public hearing, staff received one written comment in opposition and one in support of the closure, according to county discussions. At the hearing, there were six comments in favor of the closure, according to Unzelman, and the county received two more supportive comments since then.
Some citizens voiced concern about moving farming equipment on the highway after 188th closes. While the county concluded there wasn’t a way to provide access through the closure, Unzelman said staff met with representatives of the Chehalis Tribe and a local farmer, and they’re in talks about a potential alternative route through tribal land.
The change is characterized as permanent; however, it has technically been approved for a period of 10 years.
State law states public roads can only be closed indefinitely if they’re permanently vacated, Unzelman explained — Public Works recommended not vacating that portion of 188th, so it can still be used by emergency vehicles. So, the county Prosecuting Attorney’s Office staff recommended closing the road for 10 years, when it will then be re-evaluated.
It was also made clear when commissioners approved the closure that, if a solution to the farming equipment issue is discovered, there could be another public hearing and adjustments could be made.
This story was originally published October 23, 2020 at 8:59 AM.
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