Three sidewalk and pathway projects in Battle Ground are scheduled to begin construction soon this year, with benefits that improve the city's connectivity without relying on vehicles and provide safer means for pedestrians.
One of the most visible efforts is the Southwest 20th Avenue Pathway, which will add a new sidewalk and bike path on city-owned property along the east side of the road. The project is designed to connect an existing sidewalk just south of Southwest Sixth Street, establishing pathways south to Southwest Scotton Way and creating a safer, continuous route for pedestrians and cyclists to the Walmart shopping area.
The city has allocated $200,000 for preliminary engineering and $1 million for construction, the project page on the city of Battle Ground states. Initial site work began in October 2025, Battle Ground Communications Manager Alisha Smith stated in an email to The Reflector. In November, crews installed ADA-compliant ramps at all four corners of the intersection of Southwest Sixth Street and Southwest 20th Avenue. Smith stated construction was paused due to winter weather and heavy rain in the forecast. Smith added that city officials anticipate work will resume in May as weather conditions become drier and more stable.
A second project will extend sidewalk improvements along Northeast First Street, building on earlier phases that added pedestrian infrastructure between North Parkway Avenue and Northeast Third Avenue, the city website states. The next phase will continue eastward to the Central Park and Woodin Creek junction, on the opposite side of the road from Central Park, however.
The project includes $50,000 in city funding for preliminary engineering and $150,000 for construction, along with $200,000 from the Clark Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG). The city states that construction is expected to begin in the second quarter of this year.
Plans call for a new crosswalk and ADA ramps serving Central Park, as well as ADA upgrades to improve accessibility at the Northeast Third Avenue intersection. The city states the improvements are intended to increase safety while strengthening connections between residential areas and public spaces in Old Town.
The third project, labeled the North Parkway Avenue Pathway, will create a continuous, ADA-accessible pedestrian corridor along the east side of North Parkway Avenue, linking Northwest Onsdorff Boulevard to Northwest 25th Street.
Funding for that effort includes $50,000 in city funds for preliminary engineering and $200,000 for construction. The city funding is supplemented by $300,000 in CDBG funding for construction. The city states work is expected to commence in the third quarter of this year.
The project will connect existing portions of the sidewalk installed through frontage improvements by developments such as Stone Wood Haven and Parkway Terrace, filling gaps to create a seamless route to Old Town along North Parkway Avenue.
“This project is an excellent example of infrastructure improvements starting with a private development and a city project completing the connections,” Smith stated. “By requiring frontage improvements with private developments, portions of the sidewalks are built by the private developers–helping reduce the overall cost to taxpayers, as opposed to relying on public funding to install the entire corridor.”
The three projects address many citizens' concerns about walkability and connectivity in Battle Ground, as illustrated in prior Community Focus articles in The Reflector.
