The Walla Walla County Public Works Department planned safety improvements along a portion of Reser Road. The existing road has a total width of 18 feet with soft gravel/dirt shoulders between 0.0 and 6.0 feet wide. Project plans include widening Reser Road to 32 feet, and will include 11-foot travel lanes and 5-foot shoulders. The project was funded through the Federal Highway Administration. The Washington State Department of Transportation Highways and Local Programs Division is assisting the County and acting on behalf of the FHWA in processing federal environmental compliance documentation. As this is a federally funded project, the potential impacts to historic properties must be considered prior to implementation, as per Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
Background research revealed one previously recorded archaeological resource and 13 inventoried structures in the vicinity of the project. The Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation’s predictive model places the Project Area within an area of moderate risk for encountering cultural resources. No Native American or historic-era cultural materials or features were observed during the pedestrian survey or shovel probing of the Reser Road Safety Project, however, and it was determined that the undertaking will result in No Historic Properties Affected. No further archaeological investigations were recommended prior to, or during, execution of the project.
Location: Walla Walla County, Washington
