The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners has approved a six-year transportation improvement project plan.
The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the calendar years 2026-2031 is a planning and programming document that identifies the scope, timing and funding for county road projects for the next six years.
The county is required to approve a new TIP every year, according to County Engineer Matt Unzelman.
Once adopted, the TIP is submitted to the Thurston Regional Planning Council for inclusion in the Regional Transportation Improvement Program annual update.
For 2026, the TIP estimates the county’s road fund will generate about $29.3 million in revenue and plans for about $33.3 in expenditures. The fund has a starting balance of about $12.8 million.
Planned transportation projects for 2026 are:
• Old Highway 99 at the intersections of 201st Avenue Southwest and Sargeant Road
• Littlerock Road Southwest and 113th Avenue Southwest bridge and intersection
• Phase one of the Green Cove Creek fish barrier removal
• State Route 507 and Vail Road Southeast roundabout
• Yelm Highway and Spurgeon Creek Road Southeast intersection improvements
• Rochester Main Street improvements
• Tilley Road South between Old Highway 99 Southwest and Goddard Road Southwest
• Old Pacific Highway Southeast and Kuhlman Road Southeast intersection improvements
• Phase one of the Marvin Road upgrade between 22nd Avenue and Union Mills Road
• Phase three of the Marvin Road upgrade between Union Mills Road and Pacific Avenue
• Johnson Point Road and Hawks Prairie Road intersection improvements
• Pleasant Grade Elementary School pedestrian improvements
• Thompson Creek Road Southeast at the Thompson Creek Fish Passage
• Cooper Road Southwest at Mox Chehalis Creek Culvert Replacement
• Shawn Drive Southwest at UNT to Dempsey Creek Fish Passage
• Tilley Road Bridge Replacement Project
• Mud Bay pavement preservation between U.S. 101 and Evergreen Parkway
* 183rd Ave Phase 1 – Empire Rd SW to Sargent Rd SW
• 196th Avenue Southwest between Sargent Road Southwest and Elderberry Street Southwest
Money has also been allocated to the following programs for 2026:
• Countywide Electrical Services Project: $10,000
• 2024 County Road Safety: $10,000
• American with Disabilities Act Program: $50,000
• Culvert Program: $200,000
• Fish Package Enhancement Program: $1.5 million
• Transportation Impact Fee: $195,000
• Pavement Preservation Program: $2.5 million
• Other miscellaneous projects: $500,000
Information about specific projects can be found at https://public-works-projects-thurston.hub.arcgis.com/.
The full TIP is available online as part of the Board of County Commissioners’ Tuesday, Dec. 16, meeting agenda packet, starting at page 1,402. Meeting agenda packets can be found at https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/meetings-and-agendas.
