Snohomish County's population increased 143% between 1980 and 2019, making SR 522 a critical north-south route that connects communities between Woodinville and Monroe.
One section, between Paradise Lake Road in Maltby and the Snohomish River, remains one-lane in each direction. We plan to widen the highway to create two lanes in each direction to improve traffic flow and increase trip reliability on the roadway. This includes building a new eastbound bridge at the Fales Road/Echo Lake Road interchange and converting the existing bridge to westbound traffic only.
Drivers also regularly experience heavy congestion at the SR 522/Paradise Lake Road intersection. The congestion frequently spills over onto side streets as drivers try to find ways around the bottlenecks on the highway.
An improved interchange, capable of handling more cars more efficiently, will increase traffic flow, decrease congestion and improve travel times. It will also decrease the risk of rear-end collisions during stop-and-go conditions, greatly improving driver safety.
Preliminary preferred alternative
In June 2018, WSDOT selected a preliminary preferred alternative for the SR 522 - Paradise Lake Road interchange. Key characteristics of this concept include:
- Remove existing signal at SR 522 and Paradise Lake Road
- Elevating SR 522 near SR 524/Maltby Road
- New on- and off-ramps
- New roundabouts at the end of the new ramps
- Removing a portion of the existing Paradise Lake Road
- Creating a new roadway on the east side of SR 522 to provide access to the highway and link directly underneath to SR 524/Maltby Road
Benefits of the preliminary preferred alternative include:
- Reduced traffic congestion by removing the traffic signal at separating SR 522 from local traffic
- Improved east-west connectivity
- Improved local fish passages
- Improved safety by reducing the risk of rear-end collisions during stop-and-go conditions
Technical advisory group
A technical advisory group (TAC) consisting of representatives from area cities and agencies provided feedback and made recommendations on an interchange design for the Paradise Lake Road intersection. Over three meetings in 2018, TAC members worked with WSDOT to identify the preliminary preferred alternative using criteria such as safety, local street operations, SR 522 operations, and forward compatibility. The TAC reviewed forecasted traffic analysis maps, area development plans, community benefits and effects, and project costs.
Community engagement
WSDOT hosted two open houses in 2018. The first open house in October 2018 provided more than 200 attendees an opportunity to review several interchange options that were being studied and provide feedback.
The second open house in December 2018 attracted more than 150 people who reviewed the preliminary preferred alternative and spoke with members of the project team about the concept.
This project has received $33.55 million in funding from pre-existing funds, and the Connecting Washington and Move Ahead Washington transportation packages for design and right-of-way acquisition. The project is not currently funded for construction.