SEQUIM — The stress of waiting to turn left off Grant Road onto car-gorged River Road toward Sequim’s big-box store district is expected to be eliminated with the construction of the city’s newest street: South 14th Avenue.

Construction is scheduled to begin Monday on the street that will allow motorists to travel from Grant Street to West Washington Street and tie in with the River Road and Washington Street roundabout, bypassing River Road’s heavy traffic between U.S. Highway 101 and Washington Street.

“That’s going to be really nice for those businesses there,” said David Garlington, city engineer and assistant public works director.

The road between Grant and West Washington streets, running along the east edge of Clallam County’s road maintenance yard, is out of the way enough that it is not expected to have a great effect on the commercial area that includes storage units, retail businesses, restaurants and lodging.

Bypass link

The street, which the City Council named earlier this year, will include a sidewalk on the west side and is intended to act as a bypass link to avoid River Road’s heavy traffic.

Seton Construction of Jefferson County was awarded the $119,000 street contract that Clallam County engineered and designed as part of its mutual assistance agreement with the city of Sequim.

The new road’s name comes from the city’s east-west numbering grid that ends at South Ninth Avenue between the roundabout and Costco Wholesale Warehouse.

Land for the project was donated by Clallam County and resident Steve Smith.

Garlington said the project will begin with sod being peeled off and graded.

After that, a drainage system will be installed, followed by curbing and the sidewalk, then asphalt paving.

The work schedule is dependent on the weather, but Garlington said the project could be completed as soon as mid-December.

________

Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.