The recent front page story regarding a potential new overpass at 156th Street NE, with access ramps to serve the Smokey Point/Lakewood area, certainly contains a bit of irony.
It appears that the local long-time residents and businesses were duped when the current overpass was expanded. As the congestion increased in the area over a number of years, the local established businesses and residents formed community groups and lobbied to expand the overpass from three lanes to help eliminate the Smokey Point gridlock.
After years of community action, the new expanded overpass became a reality and what did they get? A much bigger overpass that still only has one lane east and west between Lakewood and Smokey Point – an excuse to dramatically develop the area with major new shopping centers and big box stores. The elimination of the right-turn lane at the I-5 southbound on-ramp is such that one car can now back up the entire intersection and the one to the west – a major shopping area with just one lane in and one lane out.
The local folks devoted the time and effort and now it seems are punished by others’ poor planning and a lack of foresight. No doubt the big box stores that have opened and/or are planning to open conducted detailed market studies which indicated lots of people would come to shop. So, why should we be surprised by the quick return of gridlock? Traffic studies must have foretold a looming problem. It would seem that the resolution of access issues, ingress and egress, would have been a condition prior to major development. Infrastructure and mitigation fees should have been in place before the first concrete was poured.
MICHAEL LARSON
Monroe
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
