Roughly 40,000 drivers travel US 2 between Snohomish and Monroe every day. Snohomish County’s population has experienced a nearly 80 percent increase since 1990. Another 200,000 people are expected to move here by the year 2035. Safety improvements must be made to keep the highway in good condition as the number of people using US 2 increases.
- New pavement: The asphalt on this stretch of US 2 has outlived its anticipated 15 year lifespan. Most of the pavement hasn’t been updated since 1998. Through the decades, cracks, ruts and potholes have developed. These make the roadway uneven, allowing water to pool and reducing tire traction. This causes drivers to slow down to handle the slick conditions, which increases travel times. Removing the old, worn out asphalt and replacing it with new pavement will provide safer driving conditions and extend the life of the highway.
- Wider medians: Contractor crews will build medians to separate the eastbound and westbound lanes. The medians will range in width between four feet and six feet and will extend from Bickford Avenue in Snohomish to the vicinity of the Pilchuck Creek bridge. Rumble strips will line the medians and make a loud noise when drivers start to drift. A second, separate project will install a physical barrier in these new medians. That project is currently scheduled for some time in 2020.
- Bridge expansion joints: Two expansion joints original to the Pilchuck River Bridge will be replaced. The bridge, just east of South Machias Road in Snohomish, was built nearly 40 years ago. The bridge will be open during repairs, but reduced to just one lane over one summer weekend.
- Repaving bridges: In addition to work on the Pilchuck River Bridge, crews will also make necessary repairs while repaving the bridges over French Creek, Farm Road and Woods Creek. Repaving and repairing our existing highways and bridges reduces the need for emergency repairs which can be costly to taxpayers and cause additional congestion if the work must be done during peak commute hours.
- Improved intersections: Sidewalk ramps at the intersections of US 2 between Fryelands Boulevard to Cascade View Drive will be updated. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades serve to improve these intersection crossings for all users.
Traffic safety corridor
This stretch of US 2 is a designated Traffic Safety Corridor. This means the local community has requested the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Washington State Patrol and WSDOT work with community groups, businesses, organizations and emergency services to develop low-cost, short-term solutions aimed at reducing the significant number of fatal and disabling collisions on US 2. Those solutions are eligible for state funding.
This project will fund safety improvements and preservation efforts on US 2 from Bickford Avenue to just east of Monroe. In addition, contractor crews will also repair and repave 1 mile of State Route 9 at the junction with US 2.
