Staff photo/Ian Gleadle
Road improvements along the north leg of SR-202 are set to begin. The project will add a new northbound lane from Little Bear Creek Parkway to the south end of the SR-522 overpass. It will also add another southbound left turn lane toward Little Bear Creek Parkway.

The city awarded a construction contract to West Coast Construction Company to complete road improvements on State Route 202 (SR-202) between Little Bear Creek Parkway and the SR-522 westbound off ramp. The improvements are part of the city’s Bottle Neck Relief Project and should begin within the next six weeks. Though the contract stipulates a fall completion, the majority of the road construction should be done within a couple months.

The project will add a new northbound lane from Little Bear Creek Parkway to the south end of the SR-522 overpass. The lane will provide extra capacity for vehicles lining up at the SR-522 southern ramp’s traffic signal.

The project will also add another southbound left turn lane toward Little Bear Creek Parkway. The extra turn lane is expected to reduce the congestion that occurs when the line of vehicles turning left onto the Parkway block the through southbound lanes. The city hopes that additional left turn capacity will encourage more drivers to use Little Bear Creek Parkway for access into the Central Business District.

In addition to road widening, improvements include curb, gutter, sidewalks, landscaping, irrigation, and other associated work.

City Manager Pete Rose told the City Council on April 10 that construction would bring a “somewhat limited interruption to traffic.”

The city’s Public Works Director Mick Monken said drivers would experience some disruption but that the scope of a project done last year to construct a wall along a portion of the northbound SR-202 lanes included widening the shoulder.

“Now the contractor has a place to work, off the main travel area,” said Monken.

Two-thirds of the project funding will come from a grant from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB).

“It was approved last November,” said Monken. “The City of Woodinville competed against hundreds of projects for the grant.”

The TIB will provide $498,825. The city is responsible for the remaining balance of $249,413.

The city received four bids for the project ranging from $680,216.60 to $724,139.43. The engineer’s estimated project cost was $687,240. West Coast’s low bid of $680,216 came in $7,023 under the engineer’s estimate.

The contractor has performed other construction projects for the city: the Bottle Neck Relief Project Sound Transit Flyer stop (this year), the SR-202 / Little Bear Creek Parkway intersection improvement (2003) and the NE 175th Street westbound right turn pocket extension (2003).

“Woodinville has a very good working relationship with West Coast Construction,” said Monken. “Their field and management teams worked very closely with the city. When you work on any project, there are always a few unexpected situations. West Coast has a lot of experience that enables them to come up with quick, economical solutions.”

Questions about the project can be directed to Bill Henry, project manager, at (425) 489-2700 ext. 2296.

This project will complete SR-202 road improvements north of the railroad trestle. Upon completion, the city expects to see immediate traffic improvements.