ILWACO — Citywide street repairs are coming to Ilwaco, thanks to a sizable state grant that the city was recently awarded.

Ilwaco councilors at their Oct. 14 meeting formally authorized Mayor Mike Cassinelli to enter into an agreement with the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) for a $1.425 million grant to treat the surface of nearly 70,000 square yards of city streets. The grant requires a 5% match, $75,000, from the city, bringing the total funding to $1.5 million.

The state dollars come via TIB’s Red Town Initiative, which provides street maintenance assistance to cities and towns with a population under 5,000. The funds will allow 78 segments of road in Ilwaco to be treated with Otta seal, a surface treatment that can look like gravel immediately after being installed but over time creates the appearance of a normally paved surface as black oils work their way up.

“Otta seal will darken and look smoother over time,” a TIB presentation states about the treatment method. “This does not affect the quality of Otta seal. This is the natural result of wear and time.”

The “dirty rock” used for Otta sealing costs less than the washed rock that is needed for chip sealing, according to TIB, but is not as brittle at low temperatures and is less prone to temperature-related failures. Otta seal also holds the rock medium better, can last up to twice as long as chip seal and is less susceptible to weather and traffic damage.

Some 38 road segments — covering about 41,000 square yards — are slated to receive a single layer of Otta seal at a total cost of just under $410,000, while the other 40 segments of road that cover almost 29,000 square yards will receive a double-layer treatment at nearly $740,000. According to TIB, a double seal can last 8-15 years if properly maintained.

Some of the streets that are expected to receive treatment include those in the Vandalia neighborhood, those up by Hilltop Middle School, and the roads connecting Spruce and Lake streets.

Ilwaco City Administrator Holly Beller said she is also lobbying TIB to include the road behind Black Lake, which has been closed for years due to its poor condition. “Some fishermen will be excited for that.”