A new interchange the state is building at Smokey Point has been waiting months for some lane striping and a few other finishing touches.
The soggy June weather has the state Department of Transportation waiting to finish the project, which will still wrap up this summer.
Other major road projects in Snohomish County also continue to proceed on time, even with the soggy spring.
“It’s delayed some of our paving operations, but for the most part, we’re staying on schedule,” state DOT spokesman Dave Chesson said. “With the exception of the days you’re actually pouring (cement), it doesn’t matter what the weather does. You’ll see the iron workers out there in the pouring rain.”
Utility crews, he said, are “out there whether the sun’s out or whether the wind’s blowing sideways.”
The exception is paving and painting, which require warm, dry weather.
The National Weather Service in Seattle has recorded a wet — but not record-breaking wet — spring. More rain fell in the first half of June than usually falls for the entire month, meteorologist Art Gaebel said. May and April were approximately an inch above normal totals.
The Climate Prediction Center’s outlook for the remainder of June, July and August calls for near-normal temperatures and a likelihood of below-normal precipitation.
That should allow crews to push ahead on ongoing road projects:
Interchange upgrades on I-5 at Smokey Point should be done this summer.
Improvements along a 10-mile stretch of Highway 532 between I-5 and Camano Island, including a new, wider span to replace the Gen. Mark Clark Bridge, should be mostly complete this fall. Some remaining work is likely to finish up in mid-2011.
Pedestrian projects for the city of Lynnwood over 44th Avenue W. and 196th Street SW are planned for completion late this summer.
Ten miles of cable barrier on the I-5 median in and near Marysville should be fully replaced with a concrete barrier late this year.
A new bus station in the I-5 median at the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center and related work is scheduled for completion by spring 2011.
Snohomish County’s work on a first phase of 20th Street SE in Lake Stevens is expected to conclude this summer.
The Granite Falls Alternate Route is scheduled to wrap up this fall.
The state Department of Transportation is preparing to begin three large projects in this summer:
The Ebey Slough bridge replacement on Highway 529 between Everett and Marysville is expected to take until late 2013.
Ramp upgrades to improve merging near I-5 and 196th Street SW in Lynnwood are expected to last until late 2011.
Work to improve the interchange between U.S. 2 and Highway 522 in Monroe, as well as Highway 522 widening, are expected to finish up by summer 2012.
Construction updates
For more information on roadwork in Snohomish County, including construction updates, maps and photos, go to the state Department of Transportation’s project list.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
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