NVN: “Yelm bypass goes on front burner”

If the NVN gave their readers true facts, their story of August 14th on the bypass should be titled:
“One quarter of Yelm bypass goes on front burner”

The NVN reported,
“Motorists should be travelling down phase one of the Yelm Bypass by 2011.

Assistant project manager Jeffrey Petterson gave a special presentation to Yelm City Council Tuesday [August 11]…

The project will go to bid Nov. 9.

The original estimate to go to bid was October.

Petterson said construction will start in spring 2010 and should be functioning by January 2011.

Phase one of the bypass will start at Mud Run Road and end at Cullens Road [1.1 miles, commonly called the Yelm High School Bypass, since this road only bypasses the High School section of Yelm Ave. West.]…

Construction for phase two of the project, which runs from Cullens over to Wal-Mart, is currently unfunded, but is included in the citys six year transportation improvement plan.

In order for a city to seek funding for a project, it must be included on the plan.

The bypass will consist of 4.2 miles of two-lane corridor with nine intersections.”
[Ed, Note: Maybe at some future date 4.2 miles will be built, however for now, only 1.1 of the 4.2 miles has been funded.]

“…the Gov. has decided to bump Bypass [STAGE 2] funding to the 2021-2023 biennium, as the Tacoma News Tribune reported on January 16, 2009,” meaning the longer, Wal-Mart end of the Bypass (3.1 miles long) has along way to go before being funded.

UNFORTUNATELY, NVN READERS ONLY GET PARTIAL FACTS ONCE AGAIN ON THIS STORY!