Highway 9 work finishing on time
Published 10:55 pm Sunday, September 28, 2008
ARLINGTON — State crews are expected to put down the final layer of asphalt along Highway 9 north of Arlington this week, completing a $20.7 million project.
“It was scheduled to wrap up in fall 2008; we are right on the track,” said Aurora Jones, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation.
While crews pave the highway, flaggers are expected to alternate traffic between the two lanes of the road.
The project, mostly funded by a 2003 gas tax hike, covers a two-mile stretch of the highway between Schloman Road and 268th Street NE. This summer, crews replaced a curvy segment of the highway with a new straight stretch.
There used to be a sharp curve between Schloman Road and 252nd Street NE. In winter, icy spots caused havoc on the shady stretch of Highway 9. State data shows that 49 collisions happened along that stretch of the road between 2003 and 2007, according to the transportation department.
The new segment of the highway is straight and goes up and down gradually, Jones said. It should improve safety for drivers.
About 10,000 vehicles use that stretch of the highway daily on average, according to the transportation department. That’s up from approximately 7,600 vehicles three years ago.
The highway cuts through farmland with creeks. As part of the road project, state workers built a new bridge over a creek so spawning salmon can swim through underneath; they also replaced a culvert to help salmon navigate Kackman Creek.
When crews finish paving and striping the highway, drivers should be able to use new left-turn lanes at 252nd Street NE and 268th Street NE, Jones said.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
