ARLINGTON — If you regularly drive Highway 9 north of Arlington, you probably don’t miss the blind curves and the dips in the road.
Construction of a $20.7 million improvement project on a 2-mile stretch of the highway wrapped up Friday as crews finished striping turn lanes.
Part of a Highway 9 corridor safety improvement program by the state Department of Transportation, the Arlington project was built by Scarsella Brothers contracting crews, who started construction in spring 2007.
The highway was straightened, leveled and generally improved for safe travel, transportation department project engineer Janice Fahning said.
The project also included a new bridge over Harvey Creek and Harvey Creek Road and a new culvert at Kackman Creek to improve fish habitat under the highway.
“We’re very excited to complete this project on time,” Fahning said. “We want to thank drivers and residents for their patience throughout construction. This project has delivered many improvements that will provide drivers with a safe, smooth ride on Highway 9.”
Most recently, crews widened the highway at its intersections with 252nd Street NE and 268th Street NE to make room for new left-turn lanes. They also paved the area and installed guardrails.
Highway 9 in north Snohomish County is used by local drivers, as well as by tourists and freight drivers, Fahning said.
About 1,300 trucks a day travel Highway 9 near Arlington, accounting for about 12 percent of the daily traffic, she said.
Members of the Washington Trucking Association recently thanked the state for the safety improvements, a department spokesman said.
Especially appreciated were the new straight stretch of roadway and the guardrails, association member Norm Miller said.
Washington State Patrol spokesman Keith Leary agreed.
“What a great improvement,” Leary said of the highway. “Benefits such as wider shoulders and a straight, direct route really enhance safety for drivers.”
The project was funded by the state’s 2003 gas tax package.
Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.
On the Web
For more information about the safety improvements to Highway 9 north of Arlington, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR9/SchlomanTo268thNE.
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