WASHOUGAL — A portion of Shepherd Road will be widened thanks to a $3.4 million grant. The work will make room for on-street parking, a shared-use path and improved access to Sandy Swimming Hole.
The Washington State Transportation Improvement Board awarded the grant to the city of Washougal, which will contribute $868,000 to complete the $4.3 million project. Project design will begin in early 2025, with construction starting in the first half of 2026.
“The issues that we have on Shepherd span multiple departments, not only just engineering, but police, code enforcement, public works and operations staff,” city engineer Scott Collins said. “I think this project will have a major impact, not only on the Sandy Swimming Hole itself but the neighborhoods around it.”
“This is a significant safety project for Shepherd Road, but it’s also a parks enhancement if you think about it, because it’s essentially taking care of a safety issue in and around the Sandy Swimming Hole,” City Manager David Scott said during the Washougal City Council’s Dec. 2 meeting. “It’s not a 100 percent perfect solution — that would require a big parking lot on property that we would acquire. But this will go a long way to really helping that situation. It’s a great project.”
Shepherd Road is two lanes between Washougal River Road and Northeast Third Avenue. Midway along the stretch of road between North 12th Street and Fourth Court sits Sandy Swimming Hole, a popular summer destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Access to the park is off Shepherd Road, and the existing parking lot has only about 20 spaces.
The surrounding area lacks sidewalks and bike connections and often draws visitors who park illegally in the roadway or in the surrounding neighborhoods.
“That’s a fairly significant corridor. It’s an old county road. It doesn’t have sidewalks. Even in non-swim season, there are people that jog and walk,” Scott said.
The improvements, which will extend from Washougal River Road on the east to Lebrun Drive on the west, will include traffic-calming measures and a raised crosswalk to provide pedestrians access to the park.
“If there’s no parking, people can park along most of the north side of Shepherd. It will likely be parallel parking along the curb,” Collins said. “There will be a shared-use path that’ll be wide enough to accommodate both bicycles and pedestrians. … It should provide safe access to pedestrians that want to get into the Sandy Swimming Hole.”
Collins said the city has received complaints about speeding and parking from residents around Sandy Swimming Hole.
Collins said the road will most likely be open one way during construction, and the city will communicate with Shepherd Road residents and leaders of Riverside Christian School, 463 N. Shepherd Road, about its plans.
Councilwoman Michelle Wagner said she has advocated for the project in the past but felt that other council members didn’t prioritize it as much due to the belief that “out-of-staters” would be the primary beneficiaries.
“I thought it would never happen,” she said. “I’m super excited. I know this was always a big priority for the community and the parks board. This is wonderful news.”