Vancouver, WA – Up to $3 million in federal funds will be used to improve pedestrian and cyclist access to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Last summer, Clark County and the city of Ridgefield jointly applied for funding to improve Northwest Main Avenue, from 300 feet inside the city limits north to the wildlife refuge headquarters at 28908 N.W. Main Ave. Western Federal Lands Highway Division, part of the U.S. Transportation Department, informed the county and city this month that funding has been approved for the project, which is expected to cost $3.7 million to design and build. Specifically, the project will: • Build a 2,200-foot long paved path along or near Main Avenue. • Remove an undersized culvert for Gee Creek under Main Avenue and replace it with a 100-foot long bridge. • Reconstruct the existing roadway near the new bridge. This section of Main Avenue is a rural road that lacks sidewalks, bicycle lanes or shoulders. The new path will be 6-10 feet wide to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists who currently share the narrow roadway with vehicles to reach the refuge. The undersized culvert periodically backs up during winter rains, which causes water to flow onto Main Avenue. This overflow creates a hazard for drivers, threatens the road’s structural integrity, and causes flooding on adjacent private property. Replacing the existing culvert also will remove a partial barrier for fish runs and dovetails with the refuge’s plan to restore fish rearing habitat by reconnecting Gee Creek to Carty Lake. The project will improve access to the refuge’s 710-acre Carty Unit, which includes the Cathlapotle Plankhouse and Oaks to Wetland Trail. A planned nature/visitor center would attract an additional 30-50 vehicles an hour to the Carty Unit during peak visitation. Clark County and Ridgefield will share costs not covered by the federal award. Design and permitting work is planned for the next two years, with construction in 2017 and 2018.