At the beginning of May, we toured four road sites across Thurston County highlighting the needs, challenges and successes of county roads in Washington, with a focus on newly completed work, projects underway, funding gaps, and the impact of the county's efforts in the community.
The two-and-a-half-hour tour allowed board members to engage with local engineers from Thurston County to learn more about the project sites and the role of county road administration. The tour kicked off at our office in Olympia where we loaded the vans and headed toward our first stop.
Green Cove Creek Fish Barrier Removal
Our first stop of the morning was at the new 150' long and 50' high bridge over Green Cove Creek. A 2021 inspection of a 60-inch culvert beneath Country Club Road revealed the culvert's roof was collapsing and, if left unresolved, would effectively dam Cove Creek behind 40 feet of road fill. The risk was significant, potentially leading to a complete failure of the road, a total blockage of migrating fish species between Puget Sound and Eld Inlet, and millions of dollars in damage.
Senior Civil Engineer Marcus Storvick, PE received our agency's 2025 Project Manager of the Year award for his leadership in the complex $9.6 million project completed in August 2025.
183rd Avenue
Our group traveled south to project site on the bustling 183rd Avenue SW in the Grand Mound area. The primary goals of the project are to improve safety by addressing run of the road collisions, road width, and guardrails as well as extending the service life of the roadway with new surfacing and better drainage. The project includes measures for flood mitigation, which will ensure the road's reliability and safety during adverse weather conditions.
The County Road Administration Board has contributed $2.2 million toward the project through the Rural Arterial Program (RAP).
US 12 and Sargent Road Roundabout
The group continued on to a roundabout site at US 12 and Sargent Road that was completed in 2023 to improve safety, mobility and access for the community. The $5 million project has improved pedestrian and bicyclist safety, improved emergency service response, and is facilitating economic development.
Tilley Road Bridge Replacement
The final stop on the tour was at the Tilley Road Bridge, a timber pile bridge across Beaver Creek that was constructed in 1950. It is considered functionally obsolete given it's age and maintenance needs and will need to be replaced by a 60-foot bridge to allow more capacity during high water events and reliable access as a detour route for I-5. The county is working on securing funding for the project, which is more challenging for short-span bridges (under 20 feet) that are ineligible for federal bridge funding.
A huge thank you to everyone who was able to attend the tour, and an even bigger thank you to the staff of Thurston County who made this day possible.
Pictured: CRAB Chair Lindsey Pollock, Vice Chair Art Swannack, Second Vice Chair Doug McCormick, PE; Board Members Peter Browning, Al French, Carolina Mejia, Grant Morgan, PE, Eric Pierson, PE, Zach Trudell; Executive Director Jane Wall; Deputy Director Drew Woods, PE; Executive Assistant Jason Bergquist; Communications Director Jacque Netzer; Grant Programs Manager Steve Johnson, PE; Support Training and Compliance Manager Derek Pohle, PE; Road System Inventory Manager Mike Clark; Grant and Special Projects Manager Todd O'Brien, PE; Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse; Thurston County Engineer Matt Unzelman, PE; Senior Civil Engineer Marcus Storvick, PE; Senior Civil Engineer Brian Meier, PE; Thurston County Traffic Engineer and Operations Manager Becky Conn, PE; Thurston County Public Works Director Karen Weiss; and Thurston County Public Works Communication and Outreach Supervisor Zachariah Davis-Price.
