Project news

• This project was awarded to Construction Ahead, Inc. of Kennewick.
• Construction is scheduled to begin Jan. 4, 2021.
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Overview

In 2021, WSDOT will install a concrete median barrier on US 2 between Bickford Avenue and the area just east of the SR 9 interchange in Snohomish.

Needs & Benefits

On average, 40,000 drivers travel US 2 near the city of Snohomish every day. Snohomish County’s population has experienced a nearly 80 percent increase since 1990. Another 200,000 people are expected to move to the county by the year 2035. Safety improvements are necessary to keep the highway in good condition as the number of people using US 2 increases.

In 2019, contractor crews working for WSDOT installed a six-foot wide median to separate the eastbound and westbound lanes of this roughly two-mile stretch of US 2. The wider median is designed to reduce the risk of head-on and crossover collisions. Rumble strips added to each side of the median make a loud noise to alert drivers if they cross out of their lane of travel toward the median space. Contractor crews will install the new barrier structures in the median during a series of overnight single-lane closures of US 2 in spring/summer 2020.

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.

Timeline

• Spring 2020: Advertised for competitive bidding.
• Early winter 2021: Median barrier installation scheduled to begin.
• Early spring 2021: Median barrier installation scheduled to be complete.

Funding

The project is estimated to cost $3.1 million with funding from federal and state sources.