Months-long closure ahead for 236th Street NE near Arlington

ARLINGTON — A months-long full closure for 1.2 miles of 236th Street NE starts Tuesday.

The Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians is redoing the road east of I-5 between 13th and 35th avenues NE. It requires a full closure, including for emergency vehicles and school district transportation, scheduled through Sept. 2.

“The project creates a safe and efficient roadway for the community while safeguarding a resilient functional wetland,” according to the tribe’s project page.

Built in the 1920s, the road has two lanes, one east and one west. It was extended in the 1970s.

Today, it leads to the Angel of the Winds Casino Resort and housing clusters.

But the road doesn’t have shoulders and the slope limits sight distance, according to the tribe.

The project will widen the lanes, add turn lanes, build shoulders and a 10-foot wide separated shared path for people to roll or walk on. Construction crews also are decreasing the road grade by 19 feet.

A roundabout is being constructed at the intersection with 19th Avenue NE, also called Kackman Road. North and south traffic currently have stop signs at 236th Street NE.

Wildlife should also see improvements.

The project includes replacing a 20-inch culvert near 19th Avenue NE identified as a fish barrier with an 18-feet-wide arched culvert. Other animals such as bears and deer can use the culvert without risk of a driver hitting them.

Another culvert 12-foot-wide culvert will be built near 27th Avenue NE .

The detour routes traffic around the closure using 19th Avenue NE, 252nd Street NE and 35th Avenue NE. Tribe staff estimate it will add 1 to 2 minutes for travelers to and from the Angel of the Winds Casino Resort. Local access will be available for residents.

“Nobody’s going to be cut off,” tribal planner Casey Stevens said.

Ben Watanabe: 425-339-3037; bwatanabe@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @benwatanabe.