East Marine View Drive closure coming soon

Published 1:30 am Monday, October 22, 2018

EVERETT — The closures near the Highway 529 and East Marine View Drive interchange will shift this week as the state Department of Ecology moves into the second phase of its cleanup work.

The project will close Marine View to through traffic starting Tuesday, according to Larry Altose, a spokesman for the agency.

The only access to northbound Highway 529 will be from the southbound lanes of East Marine View Drive. To turn onto Riverside Road, drivers will have to use the northbound lanes. When exiting, they will only be able to turn left or right.

The exit from northbound Highway 529 to Marine View also will remain closed.

Drivers are encouraged to avoid the area. The state suggests southbound drivers use Broadway and 19th Street. Northbound drivers should use 16th Street and Broadway.

Altose said the work is expected to last six to eight weeks. This is the final phase of the project.

The cleanup must be done because chemicals left by a smelter are polluting groundwater that feeds into the Snohomish River, according to the state.

The smelter operated from 1894 to 1912 near the intersection of N. Broadway and East Marine View Drive.

The Department of Ecology will use several methods to clean, including soil removal. In some areas, the agency plans to cover contaminated soil with fresh material that prevents rainwater from soaking in.

The contamination from the smelter was discovered nearly three decades ago. Many households in the Delta neighborhood are still awaiting cleanup as funds for the work run low.