South 35th Avenue Corridor Extension Project

The Ridgefield City Council is holding a public hearing on September 24, 2026 to discuss the Locally Preferred Alternative.

The project team recently advanced the alternatives analysis to evaluate the effect each alternative has on the transportation system, the community, and the environment. At the meeting, the Council will consider testimony from the community and compare the anticipated benefits of the two build alternatives and the no-build alternative to the Project Purpose and Need. Comparing the alternatives to the Project Purpose and Need will help the Council select the alternative that best meets the project goals and should advance as the Locally Preferred Alternative.

Please join us at 6:30 on Thursday, September 24 in the Columbia Assembly Room at the Ridgefield Administrative and Civic Center (510 Pioneer Street). Zoom option also available on the city website.

• Speak at the public hearing: Email the City Clerk at city.clerk@ridgefieldwa.us by 3 PM September 24 to register. Registration is not required.
• Submit written comments: email city.clerk@ridgefieldwa.us or mail comments to City Clerk, PO Box 608, Ridgefield, WA 98642. Comments must be received by 3 PM on September 24.

Presentation materials for the September 24 hearing will be uploaded to our agendas webpage and available for review by September 10 at Ridgefieldwa.us/agendas.

We are considering a new road from South 10th Way to Pioneer Street so we can accommodate more people walking, biking, and driving in Ridgefield.

In 2025, we began conducting an environmental review of two build alternatives, the Red and Green alternatives, and a no-build alternative to assist in the selection of a locally preferred alternative. If the Red or Green Alternative is selected as the locally preferred alternative, it will then move forward with National Environmental Policy Act review, permits, and construction. Throughout the process, you’ll have opportunities to review and comment on the designs and environmental findings at community open houses. See the preliminary timeline below and bookmark this page for future project updates!

Project Timeline

Click to view full size

How did we select the Red and Green Alternatives?

The planning for this roadway extension began nearly 20 years ago because we wanted to plan ahead for the Gee Creek Plateau subarea. In 2017, we worked with the community to prepare the Gee Creek Plateau Subarea Plan that established the vision and future zoning for this area. The subarea plan identified the 35^th Avenue extension as a necessary roadway to support future growth in the area.

In early 2023, we began an alternatives analysis to identify different alignments for the roadway. The alternatives analysis included three neighborhood meetings, one-on-one stakeholder interviews, and two public open houses to obtain community feedback. Based on the input and suggestions heard at those meetings, we developed several alignment options for the community to review using the following objectives that also came from community feedback:

• Minimize impacts to existing properties, communities, natural features, wetlands, oak habitat and fish-bearing streams.
• Preserve our historic structures and determine additional areas of historic significance.
• Create a new connection that:
  1. Follows property lines where possible to avoid splitting properties.
  2. Maximizes connectivity for bicycles, cars, and pedestrians, and connects to existing roads and sidewalks.

In 2024, the City Council selected the Red and Green alternatives as the two build options to advance into an environmental review process based on your public comments and our initial assessment of the potential impacts and benefits of each alternative.

What is involved in environmental review?

Environmental review for this project will happen in two phases:

• Phase 1: Preliminary Environmental Review. In early 2026, we finished a preliminary environmental review of the Red and Green alternatives, which includes assessing potential impacts to neighborhoods, traffic, environmental resources such as wetlands and habitat and community concerns. The findings from this phase will help the City Council select a preferred design or no-build alternative, also known as the locally preferred alternative.
• Phase 2: National Environmental Policy Act Review. The City is anticipating the need for federal funding to build this project, which will mean the project is subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The NEPA process will be led by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in conjunction with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Together, they will review the locally preferred alternative and determine the level of NEPA review required, which could be an Environmental Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement. Once the level of review is determined, the City will complete environmental analysis of the locally preferred alternative.

When will I have an opportunity to comment?

We held our first community open house on March 9, 2026 where attendees had an opportunity to review and comment on our preliminary assessment of the Red and Green alternatives. We’ll hold more community open houses where you can comment on the locally preferred alternative in early 2027. If the Red or Green alternative is selected as the locally preferred alternative, you will have an opportunity to comment on the draft environmental document in late 2028 before we move into final design, permitting, property acquisition, and construction. A construction start date will be identified as the project advances.