New Pullman south bypass route is in city's sights

Pullman city officials are considering an alternative south bypass route to connect U.S. Highway 195 south of Pullman to state Highway 270 to Moscow.

Kevin Gardes, Pullman public works director, presented a map of three alternative routes to the Joint Planning Area Committee, which includes representatives of both the city of Pullman and Whitman County, Thursday afternoon during a special meeting.

The cheapest route would extend from Southeast Bypass Drive and curves south into Whitman County's jurisdiction before turning north to connect to Highway 270.

In January 2005, the city authorized Taylor Engineering Inc., now called Parametrix, to develop the South Bypass Conceptual Route Study in an effort to detour truck traffic around the central business district of the city.

The original authorized route would cut through the middle of Mary's Park, five acres donated to the city from the Herb Neil estate in 2010.

After commissioning Parametrix to define alternative routes several months ago, the engineering and planning services company offered three, including the cheapest route which would curve farther south into the county. All routes would be in the county at some point.

Two new routes would curve north of Mary's Park, at sharper angles than the original or the cheaper alternative. Gardes said both routes would be problematic because they require deviations for horizontal and vertical curves. One route would go through Whitman County Humane Society land and both come close to Avista's Pullman Service Center.

Were a route to be approved by the Pullman City Council, a timeline for completion of the bypass would be driven by the pace of development, Gardes said.

The alternate routes will likely be presented to the City Council on Oct. 17, Gardes said.

Taylor Nadauld can be reached at (208) 883-4630, by email to tnadauld@dnews.com and on Twitter @tnadauldarg.