SNOHOMISH — Orange cones are all over the place.
And more work obviously needs to be done.
But the $22 million Bickford Avenue overpass opened to traffic on Monday morning, improving safety for drivers entering westbound U.S. 2 from Bickford Avenue.
Crews have been working on the project for more than a year. The intersection has been dangerous for years, because drivers headed from Bickford toward Everett had to dart across the eastbound lanes of U.S. 2, turn left and quickly merge.
The intersection was the site of 13 accidents between 2006 and 2010, including eight collisions that involved drivers turning left from Bickford onto U.S. 2, according to the state Department of Transportation.
As part of this project, three new ramps are being built to connect to the overpass. In addition to the new eastbound ramp onto Bickford, another ramp will carry drivers making right-turns from Bickford to eastbound U.S. 2. A third will carry drivers from the overpass to merge into the right lane of westbound U.S. 2.
Eastbound drivers who exit to Bickford by mistake, or who change their minds, will be able to turn left and take the overpass back toward Everett.
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