Date:
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Contact:
Richard Warren, WSDOT Urban Planning Office, (206) 464-1283 (Seattle)
Meghan Soptich, WSDOT Communications, (206) 440-4704 (Seattle)
SEATTLE – Today, WSDOT released the final report on an eighteen-month safety and mobility study of US 2 between Snohomish and Skykomish. The recommendations of the study have been approved by WSDOT planners and executives and adopted by the Corridor Working Group, which represented local agencies and communities along US 2 during the study.
“We’re grateful for the involvement of the Corridor Working Group and all the drivers who spoke to us throughout the study,” said Lorena Eng, WSDOT Regional Administrator for Northwest Region. “They shared their experiences and their frustrations and also offered potential solutions. They should be really proud of what they accomplished with this study.”
Throughout the study, drivers and residents shared their suggestions and concerns at open houses and local fairs, and through correspondence with the study team. Their feedback, combined with technical analysis by WSDOT staff and H.W. Lochner, a private engineering consulting firm, helped the team identify major problem areas and potential projects to address those issues.
In all, the study team identified 56 projects that could improve safety and reduce congestion along the corridor. The final plan includes larger long-term projects, such as widening sections of the highway and building a bypass around Monroe, that could be implemented over the next 20 years. The team also identified low-cost, targeted improvements to enhance safety, such as adding new turn lanes to reduce rear-end collisions.
One project, which the corridor working group identified as a priority, will begin construction next summer. WSDOT will install more than 40 miles of centerline rumble strips and high visibility striping between Monroe and Stevens Pass. This $3.6 million project, which is partially funded by Snohomish County, will help reduce dangerous crossover collisions. The other 55 projects on the list are currently not funded.
Next Steps: Obtain funding
The route development plan is the first step towards obtaining funding for improvements to U.S. 2. The plan provides a blueprint for local officials and legislators as they make future funding decisions.
“In 2006 dollars, we estimated the total cost to build all of the projects identified in the study would exceed $1 billion,” said Eng. “We have very limited resources available for projects statewide, so these improvements are competing for funding with a long list of needed projects. That’s why the communities’ involvement in the study is so important. This plan represents consensus from the local communities and their priorities for fixing US 2.”
The $1.3 million study was funded through multiple sources. A state congressional delegation secured a $500,000 federal grant, the state legislature earmarked $700,000 and the Puget Sound Regional Council contributed $100,000.
Some of the projects on the list include:
Safety enhancements
- Rumble strips – centerline and shoulders
- Additional lighting
- Additional reflectors in roadway centerline
Snohomish to west of Monroe
- Build a 4-lane limited access freeway with a median barrier
- Build a westbound overcrossing on-ramp at Bickford
Monroe
- Build the Monroe Bypass
- Add a bicycle lane for US 2 through Monroe City Center
- Improve sidewalks
East Monroe to Gold Bar
- Expand to 4 lanes with a 4-foot centerline rumble strip
- Build 8-foot shoulders with shoulder rumble strips
- Improve intersections
East Gold Bar to Skykomish
- Install a 4-foot center line rumble strip
- Build 8-foot shoulders with shoulder rumble strips
- Improve intersections
For more information on the US 2 route development plan and a complete list of identified projects, visit our Web site:
www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/us2/rdp.
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