Riley Slough Bridge project divisive

A proposal by Snohomish County to replace the Riley Slough Bridge and realign Tualco Road has residents concerned about property loss and the impact the project would have on the Tualco Valley's rural farming community.-á

Also called Bridge 155, the Riley Slough Bridge was identified as a candidate for replacement based on defects found in the bridge's structure. The 206-foot-long bridge on Tualco Road was built in 1930, is 18 feet wide from curb to curb and roughly three miles south of downtown Monroe off S.R. 203. The quiet, 35-mile-an-hour roadway is peppered with small farms, including the Werkhoven Dairy Farm and Willie Green's Organic Farm.

In addition to replacing the bridge, the county is proposing a roadway realignment that would straighten the approach to the bridge by repositioning the road slightly to the west.

Ginger Mullendore has owned her 10-acre farm on Tualco Road for more than a decade.-á Her property includes a rental home immediately adjacent to the bridge and slough on the northwest side, with her residence to the north. Riley Slough twists around in a northerly direction, snaking through her property before heading west and connecting with the Skykomish River.

The county's plan would essentially eliminate the front yard of her rental property and take out several barns and outbuildings, Mullendore said.

"It's going to take out the barns, it's going to take out the cattle chute, and we can't rebuild because it's too close to the road and it's too close to a slough in the back,GÇ¥ she said.

Based on the bright orange markers placed by the county, the repositioned roadway would end up close to the doorstep of the rental home, Mullendore said, and she's fearful of losing her long-term tenants, who have lived there for more than 20 years.

"They're not going to live here with a road in their front yard, and I certainly can't blame them,GÇ¥ she said.

Mullendore is trying to raise awareness about the county's proposal, in hopes planners might consider moving the project slightly to the east, which would have less of an impact on the people with homes on the west side of Tualco Road. Mullendore did receive an email from the county stating it had looked at other realignment options, but further study revealed those had significantly higher costs and more impacts than what's being proposed.

According to Snohomish County Bridge Engineer Darrell Ash, two alternatives were explored that moved the alignment of the road and bridge further to the east.

"Both options have increased engineering and construction costs, increased impacts to critical areas and required additional environmental studies. These options also require right-of-way acquisition from the property owner on the northeast quadrant of the bridge,GÇ¥ Ash said. "The estimated cost increase for these alternatives range from $200,000 to $600,000.GÇ¥

The replacement project would address structural deterioration found in the current bridge, including crumbling concrete, surface corrosion known as spalling and exposed rebar. Its existing creosote timbers supporting the bridge were found to be in "fair to poor condition,GÇ¥ with some piles described as "severely rotten.GÇ¥

The bridge was classified as "Structurally DeficientGÇ¥ and identified as a candidate for 2012 federal bridge replacement funding. According to the DOT, the county was awarded $3.5 million in federal funding to build the project.

According to county documents, the new bridge will be a "three-span concrete girder structure on driven piles.GÇ¥ It will be 200 feet long and 30 feet wide from curb to curb, to accommodate sidewalks.

The project cost is estimated at $4.4 million, and construction would begin in August 2018.

Since the project takes place in a waterway, the county must obtain permission from the Army Corps of Engineers prior to construction. Mitigation for the project would include the removal of the creosote timber piles currently supporting the bridge, as creosote is considered a hazardous material and removal of the timbers would increase compensatory flood storage, according to the county.-á -á

In addition to the loss of property, Tualco Valley residents are concerned about the impact a straightened approach to the bridge would have on traffic. Tualco Road has already been nicknamed the "Tualco Valley Speedway,GÇ¥ and if they straighten out the existing curve located south of the bridge, people may just drive faster.

"If they're going to straighten it, it's going to just become a speedway,GÇ¥ Mullendore said.

The county conducted a traffic study in 2013 that documented speeds ranging from 33 mph all the way up to 98 mph. The same study recorded between 500 and 600 cars traveling along that stretch of roadway daily. Residents found the capacity numbers to be quite high for the rural farming road and requested another study.

The county is now in the process of gathering additional data.

Mullendore has had extensive conversations with the county, including a meeting with Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, who was council chairman at the time. But she feels that once the orange stakes went in, the writing was on the wall. The project would mean a drastic change to Mullendore's property, along with a possible loss of livelihood from the lack of rental income.

Despite emails, in-person meetings and phone calls, Mullendore said she doesn't really feel like her concerns are being heard.

According to the county, there are strict guidelines in place through the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, which offer protections and assistance to people affected by federally funded projects like the Riley Slough Bridge replacement.

Mullendore said she understands the bridge needs to be replaced and that growth is inevitable. But the Tualco Valley is still very agricultural, and she said she doesn't want Tualco Road to be treated like an arterial. -á -á

"A lot of this is about me, but it's also about the valley. Because if you straighten this road out, you're going to get more people flying through here, and it's not made for that,GÇ¥ Mullendore said. "It's just not what we're about out here.GÇ¥

For more information about the Riley Slough Bridge replacement, visit http://tinyurl.com/rileyslough.