News from King County Department of Transportation
Release date:  Dec. 21, 2006

County partially reopens Dockton Road on Vashon Island

The King County Road Services Division was able to partially reopen Dockton Road Southwest today, and anticipates the road will be fully open by Jan. 1.

The road was closed between Portage Way Southwest and Chautauqua Beach Road on Dec. 11, after county engineers discovered the seawall supporting the road had suffered significant damage during recent storms and could no longer safely support the roadway.

Crews have now reached an important milestone, and the road is safe for travel during non-work hours. This partial opening will allow the crews to work faster and more safely. So, the road will still need to be closed when the crews are at work, which will be during the afternoon and evening to take advantage of low tides. Work along the seawall and the road should be wrapped up by the end of the month.

Also in the next two weeks, the King County Road Services Division anticipates there will be short-term closures on nearby Southwest Quartermaster Drive near Portage Way because high tides and winds will send water over the roadway. Every attempt will be made to limit those closures to times that Dockton Road is open and available as a detour route.

The closure schedule for Dockton Road is:

• Thursday, Dec. 21 -  Closed 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 22 -  Closed 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• (Open for the holiday from 10 p.m. Friday through 2 p.m. Tuesday)
• Tuesday, Dec. 26 -  Closed 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 27 -  Closed 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 28 -  Closed 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• Friday, Dec. 29 -  Closed 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.