City still $3.6M short to make crossing Hwy 395 safer for bikes, pedestrians
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- Pasco will apply in July for a $3.6 million state grant to complete the overpass.
- The overpass has a total cost of $7.2 million, with $3.8 million already funded.
- If Pasco wins the grant, construction may begin in 2027 with some nighttime closures.
Pasco pedestrians and cyclists will need to keep waiting for a safer way to cross Highway 395 on Sylvester Street.
The city is still short $3.6 million needed to build a new overpass for pedestrians and cyclist. The project is aimed at making the area safer on Sylvester between Road 32 and N 28th Avenue.
The city is now hoping the state will help.
Pasco approved the project in 2020, pointing to fatal crashes on the west Sylvester Street bridge.
“The current bridge is too narrow for pedestrians and cyclists to comfortably cross, making this improvement essential for safety and accessibility,” said city of Pasco project engineer Vincent Malong.
The project would connect residential homes and the new commercial side of west Sylvester Street.
When construction could begin?
The total cost of the overpass is $7.2 million. It’s design and part of its construction began in 2025 with $3.8 million in funding from Washington state.
Malong said that Pasco will apply for additional $3.6 million state grant funding in July.
In November, Washington state will communicate if they will grant this money to Pasco.
If Pasco gets the money, construction could kick off as soon as next spring.
Malong said that bridge installation would require intermittent nighttime full closures and temporary ramp closures for Highway 395.
“We are looking at certain periods of the day, really early in the morning, to not heavily impact people,” he said.
