Public Works SE 1st Street Widening & Protected Bike Lane

Project Highlights

• Designed protected pedestrian and bicycle facilities separated from vehicular traffic.
• Rebuilt two existing traffic signals and designed a new signalized intersection with elevated bike/pedestrian crossings.
• Balanced safety, capacity, and stormwater management with right-of-way constraints.

Project Description

The SE 1st Street Corridor Improvements in Vancouver, WA, encompassed a 1.5-mile federally funded complete streets initiative designed to improve multimodal access, safety, and stormwater treatment along a high-traffic arterial serving over 5,000 vehicles per day. MacKay Sposito led a comprehensive effort that included planning, civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, permitting, construction support, and environmental services.

The project introduced protected pedestrian and bicycle facilities separated from vehicular traffic, reconstructed two intersections, and added a third signalized intersection, all featuring elevated bike and pedestrian crossings. These improvements were carefully designed to enhance safety, mobility, and sustainability for both users and the surrounding community.

In tandem with the street upgrades, over 100 roadside bioretention facilities and five Contech StormFilter vaults were added to provide critical water quality treatment where none previously existed. Our engineers and landscape architects collaborated to identify plant materials and facility designs that met both functional and aesthetic goals while fitting within tight right-of-way and utility constraints.

MacKay Sposito’s work also included stormwater retrofit analysis, preparation of design and construction documents, cultural resource permitting, and construction administration. The project’s success reflects a strong partnership with the City of Vancouver, a shared commitment to sustainability, and an innovative approach to integrating transportation and environmental enhancements in a single corridor.