The Washington County Board of Commissioners will vote August 6 to move the Timber Road Slide Stabilization Project forward.
The specific item before the board is packaged with a number of other items considered routine called a consent agenda, and will almost certainly be adopted August 6. Changes to items on the consent agenda are rare.
“Timber Road is an important connector between Highway 6 and Highway 26,” an agenda item prepared by county staff read. “Community members, the Banks Fire District, the Oregon Department of Forestry and Stimson Lumber have all expressed support for this project.”
The major portion of the project is expected to take place from September through November 30, which means Timber Road could be reopened as early as this fall.
The verbiage leaves some uncertainty to the final company that will undertake the project.
“Approve bid award and execute contract upon completion of the County’s contract review process for the Timber Road Slide Stabilization project,” is what the requested action before the board reads.
It’s likely that the lowest bid will be selected, and that’s a $3,963,774 bid by Banks’ Lyda Excavating, Inc.
Timber residents may be familiar with the name; not only is Lyda Excavating a well-known local company, but the Lyda name is a historic Banks and Gales Creek area family. In fact, just two miles from the southern terminus of Timber Road is Lyda Drive off Highway 6.
Seven other companies cast their lot to tackle the project, including some other local companies. The highest bid came in at just over $7 million.
Should Lyda Excavating be selected to complete the project, it will be required to do the following, according to the county:
- Install, maintain, and remove temporary traffic control and erosion control measures.
- Perform all removal of culverts, structures, and obstructions.
- Install 12″ and 18″ stormwater pipes and inlets.
- Install subsurface drain line.
- Construct stone embankment.
- Construct MSE granular backfill with geogrid.
- Construct roadway improvements including aggregate base and ACP asphalt.
- Install guardrail.
- Install permanent striping.
- Perform additional and Incidental Work as called for by the Specifications and Plans.
The project is funded through the County Road Fund, and was budgeted in the FY 2024-25 Annual Road Maintenance Work Program adopted by the board June 18.
The project was estimated by county engineers at between $4.2 and $5.15 million.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
