Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Project Updates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
BPAC hears updates on I‑5/179th interchange, SR‑500 pre‑design and Highway 99 sidewalk designs
Summary
County and regional planners updated BPAC on the I‑5/179th interchange peer review, SR‑500 complete‑streets pre‑design (near‑term measures planned due to cost constraints), and revised 50% design for the Highway 99 sidewalk project that shows a continuous 8‑foot bike lane at a key intersection.
County and regional project staff briefed the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee on several large corridor projects and near‑term mitigation ideas at the Jan. 27 meeting.
Dylan Bass, a principal transportation planner and the region’s complete streets lead, said the I‑5/179th Street interchange is undergoing a geometric peer review as part of a complete rebuild. He told the committee the project will raise the I‑5 grade, replace existing ramp signals with roundabouts and add straight pedestrian paths on both sides of 179th Street to align with the county’s corridor plan.
On SR‑500 (Fourth Plain to 76th), Bass said full complete‑streets upgrades are being deferred for a future capital phase because of cost. "We are currently looking at how to provide some near‑term improvements for folks that are using the corridor," he said, listing potential measures such as pedestrian refuge islands and leading pedestrian intervals at high‑volume intersections while the county seeks additional funding for wider sidewalks or shared‑use paths.
County transportation staff also reported on the Highway 99 sidewalk project, which has progressed from earlier concept work to about 50% design. Staff said plans posted on the meeting web page show adjustments at the Highway 99/117th intersection to accommodate a continuous roughly 8‑foot bike lane where prior plans had narrowed the facility. Staff encouraged BPAC members to review the posted plan set and submit comments.
City and county planners highlighted coordination needs — for example, project webpages and archived meeting materials contain design drawings and surveys, and city and county neighborhood traffic programs are sharing links to reduce public confusion over jurisdictional boundaries. Staff said construction‑phase updates are posted on separate Public Works project pages and that some contractors’ current work (north of 99th) has temporarily limited pedestrian and bike provisions.
Members asked for access to preliminary plan drawings and for staff to track punch‑list and visibility issues at several overpass locations; staff agreed to circulate links to plans and follow up on construction‑phase accommodations.
