Date:  Friday, December 30, 2011

Contact: Bronlea Mishler, WSDOT communications, 206-440-4696 (Shoreline)
Tim Nau, assistant project engineer, 425-225-8726 (Everett)

SULTAN – Another round of construction is coming to US 2 – in this case quite literally. Work will begin Jan. 3, to build a roundabout at the Rice Road intersection near Sultan.

The Washington State Department of Transportation awarded the $2.17 million design-build contract to Lakeside/TriState Construction, a joint venture, in September 2011, and crews are ready to begin construction. Work will continue through the winter with no significant traffic disruptions expected for people headed to the Stevens Pass ski area or points east of the mountains.

“We’ve heard from drivers and residents that this intersection needs to be changed,” said Lorena Eng, WSDOT regional administrator. “We’ve chosen a roundabout because we believe it’s the right tool to simplify the way the intersection works and significantly improve safety on this stretch of US 2.”

During construction this winter, crews will keep both directions of US 2 open to traffic during the day as they work near the shoulders and in the median to build curbing for the roundabout. A few nighttime, single-lane closures are planned through next spring, when work will wrap up.

The single-lane roundabout at the US 2/ Rice Road intersection is designed to help reduce the risk of serious collisions, simplify traffic flow and reduce potential conflicts between turning vehicles.

The intersection saw 19 collisions from 2005 to 2009, 11 of which involved turning vehicles. The intersection was also the site of a fatal collision in February 2010 and a serious injury collision in August 2010.

This project is part of a $10 million investment to reduce serious collision on US 2 between Monroe and Gold Bar. For graphics and construction information, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/US2/RiceRoadSafety.  

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