Roger Aulabaugh of Marysville writes: When traveling north on I-405 it appears there is only one sign advising of the upcoming I-5 exit, and it is only 1 mile from the interchange. With three to four lanes heading north on I-405, it makes for some interesting (read “scary”) vehicle movements.
It happens when folks new to the area are in the far left lane traveling at 60 mph in traffic when they see the “I-5 exit in one mile” sign. Is there any chance of getting another sign at, say, the 2-mile mark?
Bronlea Mishler, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation, responds:
We understand that changing lanes near the I-5 exit can be frustrating for I-405 drivers unfamiliar with the Lynnwood area.
Our engineers double-checked the signs on I-405 that warn drivers of the upcoming I-5 exit. There are three overhead signs: 1 mile, a half-mile and 1,100 feet in advance of the exit ramp to northbound I-5.
We know that congestion on I-405 has grown considerably, and that the I-5 junction is a major exit, so we plan to install an exit sign two miles in advance of the I-5 interchange. It likely won’t be for a few years, however.
Installing a freeway exit sign is a fairly big undertaking and expense: It can cost anywhere from $33,000 to $77,000 to install a new sign on a major interstate. The most cost-effective way for us to do this is when we’re already working on a construction project in the area. For us, the next opportunity comes up in 2015.
Robert Gadbois of Marysville writes: The eastbound traffic on Soper Hill Road (near Lake Stevens) has a “feed-on” lane to go south on Highway 9 without stopping for a light. Many times, a car will use that lane, against a red light, to enter the highway. That forces the traffic already on the highway to slow down or speed up. This is dangerous and can easily cause an accident. Why is this “feed-on” lane there? It’s like saying “turn right” no matter what the traffic signals or traffic on Highway 9 is doing.
Dave Chesson at the state Department of Transportation responds: The signal at the intersection controls all vehicle movements. Drivers turning right from eastbound Soper Hill to southbound Highway 9 can legally do so only when the light is green, or following the law regarding right turn rules: If the light is red, the vehicle must stop prior to turning right, and must yield to oncoming traffic.
The short merge lane on Highway 9 at Soper Hill Road is actually there to assist semi-trucks using the Washington State Patrol weigh station, which serves southbound truck traffic. That merge lane will become a southbound lane, starting at the Highway 92 intersection and tying into the existing two lanes in each direction at Lundeen Parkway, when the Highway 9 widening project is completed this summer. This should help prevent traffic conflicts at this intersection.
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