“More than two years after right-of-way acquisition was completed, construction is underway on the connector to 103rd Avenue from Wal-Mart…

When the city approved the construction of Wal-Mart, the superstore was required to build the connector.

One of the stipulations was that the connector had to be built 18 months after right-of-way was purchased, Beck said.

Right-of-way acquisition was completed in July 2007.

The permit process to allow Wal-Mart to start construction on the connector was completed in December 2008.

Construction was originally slated to begin late March or early April.

Delays to the permit process were cited as reasons for the hold-up.
[Beck finally admitted contacting WSDOT on September 4, 2008 about the permit, which was to be issued by mid Sept., 2008, as reported in the NVN November 23rd, 2008, though the NVN omits telling you that in this story! Why did Beck wait to call WSDOT in September, 2008 and not earlier in the year; his call coming two months before the MDNS required the connector to be built by November 22, 2008? Why didn’t the NVN ask this question for this story? HMMM!]

The city was going to negotiate the right-of-way purchase, but the Washington State Department of Transportation took the lead, Beck said.
[Ed. Note: Don’t let THIS sentence fool you in this story! This is Mr. Beck mixing “apples with grapefruits” to keep the public & the NVN readers in the dark, as is his modus-operandi, IMHO! “Right-of-way acquisition was completed in July 2007″ and had nothing to do with the construction delay.]…

The road will add to the mini loop project, connecting to 103rd Avenue…

Once the Yelm Bypass is constructed, the connector will be ripped out and replaced to become part of the bypass,” quoting the NVN…

[Ed. Note: Don’t expect a Phase 2 Bypass anytime soon that comes to Wal-Mart’s door though. The city requested WSDOT divert engineering & right-of-way acquisition funding from the Wal-Mart end Phase 2 of the road to the Yelm High School Bypass 1.1 mile Phase 1, so construction there could begin. There is no funding now for Phase 2 and the Governor has postponed any funding in the budget for Phase 2 until the 2021-2023 biennium. With the state’s shortfall of $238,000,000, I would not look for funding anytime soon for a Bypass at Wal-Mart’s door, a Bypass that was required within 7 years of Wal-Mart’s opening to give Wal-Mart approval for opening here.]