City Resurfaces Roadway, Expands Services at Western Gateway

Construction will soon be underway on the City of Shelton’s Western Gateway project. The scope of work includes a new sidewalk, curbing, pavement, and a water main installed between 11th and 12th Streets. A new Mason Transit Authority bus shelter will also be added near Pacific Court to serve Turning Pointe Survivor Advocacy Center and its residents.

The Western Gateway project is an element of the 2015 Community Vision and Action Plan – Downtown Revitalization, a design study commissioned by the Chamber together with community partners. The revitalization concept was further refined by the City’s Railroad Avenue Corridor Study in 2017.

Railroad Avenue rehabilitation has been identified as a high priority by City Council for several years. To support that objective, the City secured a $760,400 grant from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board in 2018 to address transportation deficiencies at the western entrance to Shelton.

Opportunities to expand the scope of the project emerged when Simpson Railroad offered to gift the rail line properties, along with other Simpson-owned parcels, to the City for municipal uses. After extensive negotiations, the City agreed to take possession of the former Simpson rail line in 2020.

Prior to the City’s acquisition of the rail line, Simpson terminated its lease with Peninsular Railroad and Lumberman’s Museum in September 2020 due to non-compliance with terms of the lease. City Council has specified the use of the former Simpson properties for any good governmental purpose including use as multi-modal transportation facilities benefiting the entire community.

The City intends to provide a paved multi-modal pathway extending from 1st Street to the intersection of Highway 101 and Shelton- Matlock Road. The installation of this pathway is part of a multi-year, multi-phase project to invest in community amenities to benefit the public.

A clear community priority to provide trails in Shelton has emerged through extensive, ongoing community engagement over 20 years. Most recently, a community outreach survey designed to inform the development of the 2020 Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails Plan.

Respondents were asked about the types of facilities generally used when recreating. Shoreline areas and beaches were the number one choice (60%) with a slight preference given to walking and biking trails (58%) over unpaved nature trails (49%) as respondents' second and third choices, respectively. You may have noticed during the first week of April that City Public Works crews began removing the railroad tracks crossing the road and are continuing to be removed from down at Sierra Pacific through town to the Miles Sand & Gravel yard.

Additional information about the project can be found on the City’s Western Gateway webpage sheltonwa.gov.

Railroad Avenue Looking East (Before)

Railroad Avenue Looking East (After)

Western Gateway Project Timeline