Drivers in the Kent Valley soon will have to navigate through several road-construction projects.
With the arrival of spring, city and state officials are starting street projects along the West Valley Highway, West James Street, West Cloudy Street, and South 228th Street.
• W. Valley Highway:
The Washington Department of Transportation started this week on a two-month project to repave the West Valley Highway in Kent between James Street and South 180th Street.
Work is scheduled to be done overnight from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday on the West Valley Highway. New wheelchair ramps will be installed at each intersection during daylight hours.
Alternate routes are advised between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Detour routes will be in place when paving begins.
• West James Street:
City crews started work last week burying overhead utility lines along West James Street near the new Kent Events Center, slated to open in January 2009.
A traffic signal will be added at the intersection of the Events Center and Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center driveways, including a left turn lane and a westbound bike lane.
New curbs, sidewalks and street lights also will be added between the Interurban Trail and Fourth Avenue North.
• West Cloudy Street:
City officials plan nearly $5.4 million in improvements along Fourth Avenue North between James Street and Cloudy Street as well as on Cloudy Street between Fifth Avenue North and Third Avenue North.
A traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Cloudy Street, including a left turn lane on Fourth Avenue.
Curbs, gutters, sidewalks and street lights will be built along Fourth Avenue and on Cloudy Street.
Construction is expected to be finished by Nov. 1, 2008 along James Street and by May 1, 2009 on Fourth Avenue North.
• South 228th Street:
Construction is expected to start in May on a 16-month project by the city to build an overpass over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks along South 228th Street between Second Avenue North and 83rd Avenue South in order to separate the street from the railroad tracks.
Crews will haul in nearly 50,000 cubic yards of fill to construct earth retaining walls for the approach embankments at either side of the bridge in order to raise the roadway to the new grade.
Once work begins on the overpass, South 228th Street will be closed at the tracks throughout the project. Signed detours will be provided and local access will be maintained, but lane closures will occur.
Crews already have started to relocate utilities along the street.
Workers also will widen the existing roadway through the curve along South 228th Street to 83rd Avenue South to provide a two-way left turn lane.
City officials estimate construction of the $10.7 million project to be done in September 2009.
For more information, call the city Public Works Department at 253-856-5500.
Contact Steve Hunter at 253-872-6600, ext. 5052 or shunter@reporternewspapers.com.
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