Date:  Friday, May 28, 2010

Contact: Dave Chesson, WSDOT Communications, 360-757-5970 (Burlington)
Dave Crisman, WSDOT Project Engineer, 360-428-1593 (Mount Vernon)

New lanes will help reduce congestion and collisions

LAKE STEVENS –Drivers and residents near Lake Stevens will see safety and congestion improvements this year on SR 9 between Lundeen Parkway and SR 92. WSDOT awarded a project to Granite Construction of Watsonville, CA, on May 5 for $10.9 million.

Construction will begin this summer, after WSDOT meets with the contractor and they are able to mobilize crews and equipment. The project is expected to finish in 2011.

During construction, crews will:
• Widen SR 9 from Lundeen Parkway to SR 92 from two lanes to four,
• Lengthen the right-turn lanes in both directions of SR 9 at Lundeen Parkway,
• Add a second left-turn lane from eastbound Lundeen Parkway to northbound SR 9,
• Lengthen the northbound left-turn lanes from SR 9 to Soper Hill Road,
• Lengthen the southbound right-turn lane from SR 9 to Soper Hill Road,
• Separate and improve the connections with the Washington State Patrol Weigh Station on southbound SR 9,
• Improve lighting and traffic signals on SR 9 at the intersections of Lundeen Parkway and Soper Hill Road,
• Improve highway drainage water quality, and control runoff into an adjacent fish-bearing stream.

The population and traffic have risen dramatically in the last few years. Roughly 24,000 vehicles travel this route daily. The population of Lake Stevens has more than doubled in the past seven years. Between 2000 and 2007, Snohomish County’s total population increased 13.2 percent. An additional lane in each direction, turn lanes and improved signals will help reduce congestion and travel times for drivers.

Drivers will likely see some congestion and delays during construction. The majority of work will be done without taking lanes to help keep traffic moving. Work requiring lane closures will mostly be completed at night.

Granite’s bid was $5.7 million under WSDOT engineer’s estimates. The project is funded by the 2005 gas tax package.

Drivers can sign up to receive weekly e-mail updates about this and other Snohomish County construction projects by going to www.wsdot.wa.gov/EmailUpdates. For more information about the project, visit the website at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr9/lundeentosr92.  

< Go Back