GRANITE FALLS — It’s been more talked about for more than a decade.
On Friday, the Granite Falls bypass finally opened.
A parade of antique cars, a Granite Falls fire engine and several semi-trucks took the first trip down the 1.9-mile road. Drivers honked and waved to a crowd gathered for the opening.
“I can’t wait to drive on it,” said Ilene Engebretsen as she watched people drive the road not far from her home.
The $28.8 million road was built to divert truck traffic off city streets and away from schools in downtown Granite Falls, Snohomish County Councilman John Koster said.
“We were talking about this project 16 years ago,” Koster said. “This is a project that not only facilitates industry and commerce in the county but moreover the safety of citizens.”
Granite Falls Councilman Matt Hartman said the roadway now being called Quarry Road has taken a lot of hard work to get built and many believed it would never happen.
“They told me it’s been on and off the books,” he said. “They said even the people in Granite Falls can’t decide whether they want it. They said there’s not a chance you’re going to get anyone in Olympia to build it because they don’t even know where Granite Falls is.”
It took longer than many expected but construction on the road began in July 2009. Three roundabouts located on the route were built so all trucks can safely maneuver through.
The bypass will help save truck drivers time and money as they make trips around Granite Falls instead of through it, said Granite Falls Mayor Haroon Saleem. He noted the history of his community, saying that the quarries in that part of the county have supported other cities around the region for years.
“We deserve this,” Saleem said. “We should have had this a long time ago, but we have it now, and we’re very proud of it.”
Barbara Petrakopoulos, owner of Omega Pizza and Pasta on the corner of Stanley Street and Granite Avenue, was working at her restaurant Friday before the road opened. The alternate route will help keep truck dirt off her restaurant windows and is good for the city, she said.
“It’s not going to hurt my business or anybody here who is established,” Petrakopoulos said. “There’s still good food and places to shop.”
Judy Emery, who has owned the Shell Gas Station on W. Stanley Street for the past 12 years, shared a different opinion.
“We’re not happy about it,” she said. “They’re diverting all of our customers.”
Trucks may continue to go through downtown Granite Falls to make deliveries or receive services. Routes including Quarry Road, the Mountain Loop Highway and Gun Club Road have been designated as truck routes in the city.
Signs depicting the routes and restrictions will eventually be put up at city intersections.
Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.
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