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Sedro-Woolley seeks grants for SR 9 roundabout and railroad undercrossing to complete east-west corridor
Summary
Sedro-Woolley officials asked the county committee to help fund two linked transportation projects: a roundabout on SR 9 to improve level-of-service and a railroad undercrossing that will create a new east-west connection; the city reported competitive bids and a prior $850,000 state earmark for the railroad work.
Peter Lane, Sedro-Woolley city engineer, presented two linked transportation projects to the advisory committee on May 30: a roundabout at the SR 9/John Lyer-McGarrigle intersection and a railroad undercrossing to build an east-west corridor that city staff say will relieve congestion and provide a safer pedestrian and school route.
Lane said the roundabout project will bring the intersection up from a level-of-service —D— to roughly —A— for existing and future traffic and was selected over a signalized intersection after discussion with Washington State Department of Transportation. He said competition among bidders produced prices under the engineer—s estimate and asked the committee for $500,000 in county economic-development public-facility funding.
On the railroad undercrossing, Lane said BNSF has already driven piles and staged materials for the bridge superstructure; he reported an $850,000 state legislative earmark that has supported the bridge work. The undercrossing includes about 1,000 feet of new road, a 10-foot shared-use path on the north side and a five-foot sidewalk on the south. Lane said the city is reviewing cross-section details for slope stability and seismic resiliency and is considering retaining walls to flatten slopes.
Why this matters: Sedro-Woolley is growing northward and city engineers said the corridor will reduce traffic on State Route 20 and support safe student pedestrian routes near schools. Presenters noted that some portions are within municipal responsibility rather than state jurisdiction and that local construction can proceed this year.
Next steps: the city asked the committee for funding to help complete the projects; city staff said bids are competitive and construction could begin this year for the roundabout, with coordinated work on the undercrossing to follow as railroad and utility agreements are finalized.
