Construction to begin soon on Winlock broadband expansion project

CHEHALIS – A contractor has been selected to begin roadside construction on the Winlock broadband expansion project. The Lewis County Commissioners received the news from ToledoTel Vice President and COO Dale Merten Tuesday morning on their public-private partnership to bring high-speed internet to the area.
“In the first week of November, residents will begin to see roadside trenching and boring and there will be equipment and reels of orange conduit placed along roads,” Merten informed the commissioners. “We anticipate being able to connect people to broadband by early spring of 2024.”
Using a $23.5 million competitive grant it secured from the Washington State Broadband Office, Lewis County launched efforts to extend internet service to more than 2,300 homes and businesses in the Winlock area. ToledoTel will contribute up to $2.3 million as the county’s partner in this major infrastructure project.
“We’re excited to see the project move forward,” said Lewis County Commissioner Scott Brummer. “This is one of what we hope will be many public-private partnerships that will provide wider internet access across Lewis County especially to our rural communities.”
“Getting our citizens connected to high-speed internet is a really exciting change – it allows us to get plugged into the modern age to be able to work from home, access online education and entertainment options,” Commissioner Lindsey Pollock said.
“I appreciate our partnership with ToledoTel that will bring quality internet service to many,” Commissioner Sean Swope added.
Winlock residents can expect to see construction begin within the next few months.