South George Washington Way Intersection Improvement.

The intersection of George Washington Way with Aaron Drive/Columbia Point Drive has been the highest volume, most congested intersection in the Tri-Cities for many years. It also generates a high number of crashes and, because of its size and traffic volume, presents a significant barrier to pedestrians and bicyclists. The City has made improvements to this intersection in the past and evaluated potential improvements without significantly reducing the congestion. The inability of this intersection to meet the traffic demands placed on it generates long queues of cars many afternoons that back up to Swift Boulevard and beyond. In late 2019, the City completed the North - South Travel Capacity Study to address the long-standing congestion experienced on George Washington Way and SR240 north of Aaron Drive. By Resolution No. 156-19, Council determined to initiate another process to plan and make improvements to the George Washington Way / Aaron Drive / Columbia Point Drive intersection along with pursuing improvements to SR240. In late 2019, the Benton Franklin Council of Governments (BFCOG), our region's transportation planning organization and distributor of federally funded grant funds, awarded grant funds to fund this effort. The objectives of this effort are to improve intersection performance and safety for vehicle and non-motorized users.