PULLMAN – A new potential bypass option to move heavy truck traffic out of downtown Pullman might soon be explored by transportation officials.
A possible freight bypass route through the city just North of downtown along the South Fork of the Palouse River was briefly presented to Pullman City Council during a recent meeting. The idea was proposed after Washington State Department of Transportation officials told the city that longtime proposed North or South bypasses outside of town were un-fundable.
City officials looked at the recently crafted downtown master plan and found a potential truck bypass route that was identified along the river. It would tie in with State Route 270 at Davis Way just West of downtown and to Main Street to the East of the city’s core.
Council agreed to move forward and ask WSDOT to study the possible central bypass. If the study is approved the state agency would pay for that work.
“Proposing it for a study doesn’t commit us to anything and it’s allowing the state to use their money to come up with if this is a viable solution or not,” said Pullman City Administrator Mike Urban. “This is an option that we believe that could be steady and that has value.”
WSDOT is still considering one potential Pullman bypass outside of town along Kirkendal Road. City officials have been looking at possible bypasses around Pullman for decades.
