ARLINGTON — Drivers at the intersection of Highway 9 and 172nd Street NE can expect lane changes, detours and slowdowns through the summer as construction on a roundabout gets under way.
Construction will begin to consume the current intersection, said officials at the state Department of Transportation.
Crews are expected to close the east leg of 172nd Street NE early Wednesday. Through July, drivers headed to and from Highway 9 can expect a detour to 160th Street NE.
Both directions of Highway 9 are to remain open, but the lanes will be narrowed and shifted to the west side of the intersection to help make room for construction of the east half of the roundabout.
Contractor Interwest Construction is expected to open the roundabout and complete the $5 million project in the fall. Transportation officials said the roundabout should help prevent collisions and keep traffic flowing for the 16,000 drivers who use the intersection each day.
Knowing that Highway 9 is a heavily traveled route, the state Department of Transportation designed the roundabout to accommodate large trucks, horse trailers and emergency response vehicles.
For more roundabout information, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR9/SR531intersection.
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