News from King County Department of Transportation
Release date:  June 26, 2008

King County road projects along Kelly Road begin Monday, July 7

The King County Road Services Division is planning several repair projects along Kelly Road Northeast this summer that could result in lengthy detours for local residents, because there are few cross streets in the project areas.

Work begins Monday, July 7 in three locations, which will result in Kelly Road being fully closed from Northeast Stossel Creek Way to Lake Joy Road through Aug. 9. Motorists can detour via Northeast Big Rock Road, State Route 203, and Northeast Cherry Valley Road.

All three projects involve replacing failing culverts that are located under the roadway. The culverts carry small streams and tributaries. If they deteriorate or leak, it can cause the roadway to buckle, crack, or even fail. A failing culvert can also cause erosion to the supporting shoulders of the road. The new culverts will be large enough to accommodate upstream passage for native species of fish.

A fourth Kelly Road project similar to the other three is scheduled for Aug. 11 to Aug. 29. In this case, the road will be closed north of the intersection with Northeast 157th Court. The detour is the same as the one for the earlier projects.

In September, the county is scheduled to replace a culvert underneath West Snoqualmie Valley Road Northeast in the 18000 block. The detour for this two-week closure is extensive, with motorists traveling north on West Snoqualmie Valley Road/High Bridge Road to State Route 522, east on State Route 2 through Monroe, and then south on State Route 203.

With all of these projects, total closure of the road is necessary due to the large size of the new culverts and the amount of heavy equipment moving around the work sites.

The county is not able to do a one-lane closure due to the large trenches and amount of heavy equipment at each site. Plus, there are safety issues related to mixing vehicle traffic with construction activities on a narrow roadway like Kelly Road.

Crews will be working to complete the project as quickly as possible to minimize disruptions for local residents, and to meet deadlines set by the state for working near fish habitat.

For urgent concerns outside regular business hours, contact the Roads 24/7 Helpline at (206) 296-8100.