Work to widen and improve a 25-block section of 18th Street, from 112th Avenue to 138th Avenue, could begin in early 2010.

An open house on the project, the first in what the city describes as an extensive public involvement campaign, is set for 4 to 7 p.m. today at Vancouver Elks Lodge No. 823, 11605 S.E. McGillivray Blvd.

The forum will offer a chance to learn about the project and offer design suggestions. Informal presentations are set for 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Vancouver eventually wants to upgrade the entire 18th Street corridor, from 87th Avenue near Southwest Washington Medical Center east to 192nd Avenue, including building two missing segments west of Interstate 205.

No schedule has been set for completing the entire corridor, which is more than five miles long.

“It’s all going to depend on funding,” said Chris Malone, a city senior civil engineer.

Malone said the budget for the first segment, 112th to 138th avenues, stands at $16 million, but a firmer estimate won’t be known until the design is 30 percent complete.

City officials would like to finish design work in late 2009, with actual construction of the first segment the following year.

“If everything goes well, depending on weather, it could be done in one season,” Malone said.

The city has tapped a number of sources to pull together a funding package for the initial segment: $2.74 million in federal dollars that can be used on any aspect of the project; $1.65 million in federal funds that only can be used to purchase right of way; and $3.7 million in state dollars that are restricted to construction.

The city will contribute about $7.9 million: $2 million from traffic impact fees collected on development; and $5.9 million from the per-employee business tax the city council approved in late 2006.

Proposed improvements include four travel lanes, medians, turn lanes, bicycle lanes, sidewalks, noise walls and landscaping.

Following today’s open house, a design committee will be formed to gather community suggestions, incorporate them into the project and develop guidelines that will be used for the entire corridor.

The 18th Street improvement has been discussed for more than five years. In 2003, city hall was bombarded by residents opposed to extending 18th Street between 87th and 97th avenues. Those residents feared the extended street would bring more traffic into their area and encroach on Meadowbrook Marsh Park and the Burnt Bridge Creek greenway.

Malone said the city still intends to build the full 18th Street project.

“It’s been kind of dormant since 2006,” he said. “I think the vast majority of people were actually in favor of connecting it to 87th.”