A couple of Street Smarts readers have asked if any changes are coming to the intersection of 228th Street SE and Bothell-Everett Highway. Backups there are a routine problem, particularly at the left-turn light from eastbound 228th to northbound on Highway 527.
Britt from Bothell writes that it can take three light cycles or more to make the turn.
“When the light does turn green in each direction, it stays green for far longer than the westbound lanes need to empty. And in the meantime, the two through-lanes are nearly empty as well,” she said.
She wondered if the city has explored adding a second left-turn lane.
T.J. McDermott of Lake Stevens suggested adding a second turn lane as well, perhaps by converting the center through lane into one where drivers can go straight or turn left.
Turns out Bothell is in the middle of a project to address their concerns.
“The city has been working with a traffic design consultant over the past year to develop a design that will reconfigure the entire intersection, add a left turn lane on eastbound 228th, upgrade and reprogram the signal operations, upgrade street illumination, new pavement overlay and install new lane striping,” project manager Nduta Mbuthia said.
The city will take a different approach than McDermott’s idea.
“Rather than converting the existing center lane into a dual-purpose through/left turn lane, the city is adding a left-turn lane by widening 228th to the north. This will be accomplished by converting the landscaping strip on the north side of the street into a westbound travel lane,” Mbuthia said.
Design of the project is wrapping up, and construction is expected to begin in early spring.
Have a question? Email us at streetsmarts@heraldnet.com. Please include your name and city of residence. Look for updates on our Street Smarts blog.
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