Cost Of Improving Intersection Shared

After three public hearings, the city is about to reconstruct the makeshift intersection at Pleasantview Road and Fifth Avenue.

The intersection serves the popular Flying J truck stop, McDonald’s restaurant, the Watson & Associates Expo commercial development and several other businesses in the area.

It now sports a temporary stop sign in the middle of the road.

Property owners along Fifth Avenue have objected to paying for improvements along that street, so the project is limited to rebuilding the intersection and Pleasantview from Interstate 90 to Seltice Way.

Fifth Avenue property owners would participate in paying for the intersection costs under a proposed local improvement district.

The new intersection will have a turn lane for traffic turning right toward Flying J truck stop from Pleasantview Road. Now, semitrucks sometimes cross the center line as they attempt to turn.

Watson and Associates would pay for half the entire project. The city would pay for half of the estimated $180,000 traffic signal, and other property owners would pay for the rest of the $1.2 million project.

The City Council is expected to hold a final hearing and approve the plans at its Feb. 20 council meeting.

The city plans to start construction in the spring.

, DataTimes