2027/28 Poplar Street - 5th to 14th Open House

Poplar Street Reconstruction Project

Thank you for visiting the Poplar Street Reconstruction Project Virtual Open House! The Open House is available for viewing and comments from May 30 - June 13, 2025. Residents are encouraged to view the video above and explore the information provided below. Submitted comments and questions will be incorporated into the project webpage.

Project Overview

The City of Walla Walla is planning to reconstruct Poplar Street between 5th Avenue and 14th Avenue, with construction scheduled from 2027 through 2028. The project will fully rebuild the roadway to include two travel lanes, a center turn lane, and dedicated bike lanes. This updated design reflects the community’s vision and supports future transportation needs. In October 2021, the City conducted a community survey to find out which streets mattered most to residents ahead of the 2022 vote to extend the 0.2% Transportation Benefit District (TBD) sales tax. Poplar Street ranked #1, receiving 23% more support than the second-place choice, Howard Street.

The project’s primary goals include improving safety, supporting local businesses, enhancing neighborhood vitality, and promoting multimodal transportation options—all while encouraging well-informed community engagement. As part of the 2019 Poplar Street Corridor Study, a Safety and Collision Analysis was conducted, which identified Poplar Street as having the highest weighted crash rate in Walla Walla. A total of 243 collisions occurred along the study corridor between 2013 and 2017.

3.24.25 Poplar

Roadway Improvements

This project will mirror recent Poplar Street improvements, featuring full roadway reconstruction with new curbs, gutters, and a layout including two travel lanes, a center turn lane, and bike lanes. Pedestrian upgrades include bulb-outs, ADA-compliant ramps, and flashing beacons at key crossings. Sidewalks will be improved, and driveways adjusted to match new curb elevations. A new, safer railroad crossing will be built at 14th Avenue, and the 9th Avenue intersection will be fully rebuilt with a traffic signal, turn lanes, bike lanes, and pedestrian enhancements.
6th - 7th Avenue

Pedestrian flashing beacon locations at the intersections of Poplar Street and 6th as well as 7th Avenue.

Utility Improvements

The City will reconstruct the waterline along Poplar Street and side streets, installing new underground mains, water services, and fire hydrants. Most water services in the project area will be replaced. Temporary water shutdowns will occur during connections.

A large sanitary sewer from 12th to 5th Avenue will be replaced, with existing laterals reconnected. This may also cause brief service interruptions.

The storm drain system will be improved to reduce runoff into Lincoln Creek. The City, with support from the Department of Ecology, aims to infiltrate stormwater into the soil and has received a grant to support this effort.

Landscaping Improvements

Landscaping improvements will help reduce stormwater runoff to Lincoln Creek. Where feasible, planting strips will be reconstructed with swales between the curb and sidewalk to promote infiltration. In areas with existing mature trees, such as near Providence Medical Center, stormwater will be directed to underground infiltration chambers. The project will also include the planting of nearly 100 new trees.

BeyondTypicals_Default_Proposed Popular St West of 5th Ave 2d_(3)

Stormwater infiltration gallery design along Poplar Street west of 5th Avenue.

Project Stages:

Construction Phases - Poplar Updated 2

Phase 1: 5th Avenue to 9th Avenue on Poplar, tentatively scheduled in 2027
Phase 2A: 9th Avenue and Poplar Street intersection, tentatively scheduled in spring 2028.
Phase 2B: 9th Avenue to 14th Avenue, tentatively scheduled in summer through fall 2028.

Project Cost: $16.2 million

How will this project be funded?
In addition to local funding sources, the City has received multiple federal and state grants.

$3.0 M – TIB Urban Arterial Program Grant
$2.08 M – Water (City of Walla Walla – Water Utility)
$2.01 M – Infrastructure Repair & Replacement Plan (IRRP) – City of Walla Walla
$2.01 M - Transportation Benefit District (TBD) - City of Walla Walla
$1.64 M – Wastewater (City of Walla Walla – Wastewater Utility)
$1.675 M – WSDOT/FHWA Highway Safety Improvement Program Grant
$1.555 M – WSDOT Pedestrian & Bicycle Program Grant
$322K – Washington Department of Ecology – Stormwater Design Grant

Project Design and Detour Routes

Roadway and bike lane design

Poplar Street from 14th up to 9th Avenue

Poplar Street and 9th Avenue Intersection

Poplar Street from 9th up to 5th Avenue

Why three lanes instead of four?

Safety is the prime reason. According to the Highway Safety Manual, replacing a four-lane roadway with three lanes results in a 29% reduction in crashes at intersections and driveways. Overall, similar projects see collisions reduced by 10%-60%.

A total of 243 crashes occurred within the project limits between 2013 and 2017, a much higher rate than on similar roadways statewide. Many of the vehicle crashes were rear-end collisions and sideswipes, both of which are typically reduced by changing to three lanes.
The recent conversion of Isaacs Avenue from four lanes to three has resulted in a 50% reduction in crashes, a 78% reduction in injury-related crashes.

Will three lanes accommodate the traffic on Poplar?

Yes — now and in the future. Studies show the difference in capacity between three- and four-lane roadways is minimal until traffic volumes approach 18,000 vehicles per day.

Currently, about 10,078 vehicles travel on Poplar Street daily. Three-lane roads can handle more than twice that, up to 18,000 to 24,000 vehicles daily. With future growth, traffic volumes could be as high as 12,297 a day by the year 2045 — still well below the capacity of a three-lane roadway.

The updated design of Poplar Street places a strong emphasis on safety improvements throughout the corridor. Planned upgrades include a safer railroad crossing at 14th Avenue and a full reconstruction of the 9th Avenue intersection, which will feature a new traffic signal, turn lanes, bike lanes, and pedestrian enhancements. Additional infrastructure improvements include the replacement of the water main and sanitary sewer main, along with the installation of a new storm drain system.

Wont’ traffic get backed up behind slow drivers?

Can’t cyclists just use the sidewalk?