MARYSVILLE — Like a set of falling dominoes, the State Avenue improvement project is dependent on certain kinds of work being done in a certain order.
The $6.4 million project has been done in phases to limit the effect on businesses. Along the way, the city has changed some things to move the project along.
Even so, many businesses have suffered, with some reporting losses of up to 40 percent because of lane or road closures. But most agree the project will make things better in the long run.
Described by city officials as Marysville’s most significant economic development project in at least a decade, the project is moving utilities underground; installing old-style traffic lights; improving sewer, water and drainage; making sidewalks wider; and planting trees along about a mile of State Avenue.
It will be followed by development of Ebey Slough Waterfront Park on the south end of State Avenue. The Marysville City Council will review bids on Monday.
City officials worried that some work on State Avenue would hold up other parts of the project because the company that is providing the light fixtures won’t be able to deliver them until mid-June. Some other parts of the project that could be done have had to wait until the street lights are in.
But the city got good news this week. The light fixtures will be delivered this month, city engineer Kevin Nielsen said.
"We have the poles, but not the light fixtures," project manager Dave Lervik said. "It’s causing a whole bunch of other stuff that we have to wait on. It’s rather complicated. It’s very much like dominoes."
The city plans to install about 50 new light poles.
Meanwhile, city officials expect to open all five lanes of State Avenue from First Street to Grove Street on July 15 — about a month ahead of schedule.
The new poles must be installed before the old ones can be removed.
"We have to have replacement streetlights in before we can take the old ones down," Lervik said.
Once the old poles are gone, crews can finish up the curb work where the old poles were, and some storm drainage work at Eighth Street, Lervik said.
Marshbank Construction can’t move in until the electrical workers and other subcontractors move out, Lervik said.
The last things to be done will be to add a final layer of pavement on the entire project and then stripe it. The project was paid for with state and federal money and city capital projects funds.
Right now, State Avenue from First to Fourth streets is closed, and only two lanes of Fourth to Grove are open.
The roadwork won’t affect the Strawberry Festival’s 69th annual parade on June 19, Lervik said.
"We’re having discussions every week about the fact that the parade is coming up and what we can do to make things better," he said.
Reporter Cathy Logg: 425-339-3437 or logg@heraldnet.com.
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