King County begins work on rural road safety projects near Redmond, Auburn

King County will be improving traffic safety along two road corridors in East and Southeast areas of the county with federal funding from the Rural Safety Innovation Program (RSIP). The $200,000 grant is providing 80 percent of the funding to complete safety improvements on Southeast Lake Holm Road between Auburn and Enumclaw, and along Northeast Novelty Hill Road east of Redmond.

The proposed safety improvements include lower-cost projects that use technology to enhance roadway safety. The improvements include: installing warning flashers that detect the presence of approaching vehicles; driver feedback signs that measure and display the speed of approaching vehicles; and message signs that warn drivers when they are going faster than the advised speed limit. The federal RSIP program is part of a national effort to help local and state governments reduce crashes on dangerous rural roads.

Work will begin the week of Aug. 17 on Novelty Hill Road, where the project area stretches for about three-quarters of a mile east of 243rd Avenue Northeast. Crews will be setting poles for the new signs, followed by installation of new equipment. The roadway will remain open, but there could be intermittent lane closures.

The Lake Holm Road project is similar. The three-quarter mile project area is located east of the Auburn-Black Diamond Road/State Route 18 interchange.  Work is planned to begin in late August. The work will require a full closure of Lake Holm Road for approximately one day. The closure will be limited to the hill east of Auburn-Black Diamond Road, and no residences or businesses are within the closed area.

The King County Road Services Division has identified both locations as high-collision areas. Over the years, the majority of the collisions along these corridors have involved single vehicles running off the road, or vehicles crossing the centerline. County traffic engineers say there are steep grades and tight curves along these roads that have contributed to the higher accident rates.