Civil Municipal - May 2024

The city has widened the road so far, extending east towards the city boundaries, and this widening has created a fish passage as a bonus. At the same time, work is underway on a key trail, known as the “Jenkins Creek Trail” that will provide pedestrian passage under the expanded road, following the path of the stream and linking the north and southern portions of the city. Covington secured $21 million for this project, which is underway now and planned to be completed by the end of 2024. Bolli draws attention to Highway 18, which has also been identified as near capacity and in need of new safeguards. Highway 18 bisects Covington and is used as a major route through the region. Upstream of the Covington Highway 18 needs safety and capacity improvement. Understanding the implications of safe roads for people and commerce, Covington formed a coalition with other communities to highlight the significant need. As a result, the state granted $640 million to widen the road and make it safer. Bolli says that this project will hopefully get started by 2025. Putting these two projects together represents another effort called the Covington Connector project, which is a plan to connect State Route 516 to Highway 18. This will add a second connection point in the community and should cost between $45 and $60 million. The first and second phases of this project are coming to a close, and Bolli outlines that they’re planning to finish the whole Covington Connector project by the end of 2025. Another priority when it comes to infrastructure projects remains to maintain the capacity for water and sewage. The city works very closely with the Covington Water District and the Soos Creek Water and Sewer District, which provide water and sewage services to the community. This supportive partnership helps keep these utilities afloat. Residential focus is also top of the mind for the city and demonstrated by a significant project in the works entitled Covington Commons. Last year, the city was granted land use entitlements and is now getting closer to its goal of securing the required 82 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 05