Thurston County has received a $1 million grant from the state Department of Transportation to begin planning improvements for Rochester’s downtown area.
The funding comes from the Sandy Williams Connecting Communities pilot program, which utilizes Washington state Climate Commitment Act funds.
This project will improve approximately 0.5 miles of U.S. Highway 12 through downtown Rochester, from Bailey's IGA Supermarket to Foster Street.
Proposed improvements include sidewalks, marked enhanced pedestrian crossings, pedestrian scale lighting, traffic calming, curb extensions, gateway treatment and streetscape elements to increase “pedestrian safety and mobility,” according to Thurston County Public Works.
“This is all part of that vision for that historic area of our county,” said Thurston County Commissioner Tye Menser during a Board of County Commissioners meeting on Dec. 2, noting that this improvement project has been in the works since he joined the board in 2019.
“From the board’s perspective, this has been going on for a while,” Menser said.
The planning process will include active community engagement to include community partners as the design is progressed.
This project is included in the county’s 2026-27 Public Works budget, and the draft 2026-2031 Transportation Improvement Program and Capital Improvement Program.
