MARYSVILLE Next summer may be a bummer for drivers on 67th Avenue as two local road construction projects converge at the same time and the same place.
The Washington State Department of Transportation will be installing new turn lanes at the intersection of SR 9 and Lauck Road, also known as 108th Street NE and wants to divert some traffic from 108th Street to 67th Avenue.
That is the main north-south corridor between Marysville and Arlington, and Marysville and Snohomish County will be reconstructing portions of the avenue and installing new water mains during that same time span between 100th and 152nd Streets NE. WSDOT plans to divert drivers along 67th Avenue to the intersection at 84th Street NE, where drivers will continue east and west bound up and down Getchell Hill. The state wrote to the city that contractors will be allowed 15 consecutive working days for any detour, or three weeks, from June 25 to Aug. 31. The timeframe is slated to work around the Marysville School District school year, now extended to June 19 by the addition of two make up days due to snow in November. Because Marysville-Pilchuck High School is also located a mile east of the 67th Avenue and 108th Street intersection, planners hope to avoid most entanglements.
Weve been working closely with the county as more and more road improvements are made in Snohomish County, said WSDOT spokesman Travis Phelps. Im not aware of any final decision being made on that. The last thing we want to do is to gridlock our drivers.
The bid is going out to contractors this week and Marysville Mayor Dennis Kendall said he did not expect any problems as crews work around the detour, which overlaps his citys project for about eight blocks north of the Grange Hall at 100th Street NE and 67th Avenue.
SR 9 has about 6,800 southbound trips per day in that area and 4,900 northbound trips, according to city records, which show only 2,000 trips per day each way on 108th. Traffic on 84th Street is heavy westbound with 5,800 average trips and 3,800 westbound. The proposed detour route is on one of 67th Avenues busiest stretch, where there are about 4,900 trips northbound and 5,600 southbound. Data for those roads come from studies done in 2004 by Marysville and 1999 by the state and county.
Assistant City Engineer Jeff Massie said no traffic from SR 9 will be diverted into the city, just local trips on 108th as the state widens and installs turn lanes and drainage
It looks like its very limited traffic, Massie said, noting at least three or four alternative routes for people who live near the street. It shouldnt be too much of a problem.