SNOQUALMIE, Wash. — Ever since September 2022, Washington State’s Department of Transportation has been hard at work with its I-90/SR Interchange Improvement Project, which is set to add a diverging diamond interchange off I-90 and two new lanes for SR18. While many understand the work there is needed, those who live off of Southeast 104th Street argue the construction around it has created a slew of problems.
“The catastrophic planning or ill-planning of the Highway 18 Project by WSDOT,” Andy Flodin, who lives in the neighborhood impacted by the work, said.
Flodin and other neighbors showed KIRO 7 just how tough it could be to get in and out of the area. He says because of the construction, he’s had to adjust his commute to work.
“I now have to go into work at 5 a.m. so that I can get out of here safely, and I don’t get home on some nights until 8 p.m. because of the traffic,” Flodin said.
But the biggest concern for Flodin and other neighbors is how dangerous it is to get in and out of the neighborhood, especially since the construction has blocked some sight of traffic.
“There are thousands of people who go by this intersection every day, and they are putting us all at risk. Every single day,” Flodin said.
Neighbors tell KIRO 7 that the Snoqualmie School District buses aren’t going to Southeast 104th Street for the time being, given the danger it puts buses in to get into the area. Ashley Justice says parents there have to meet out in places like Snoqualmie Valley Hospital to pick up their children, but that too takes a lot of time because of the construction.
“And now they want us to go sit in traffic for 90 minutes to pick up our kids,” Justice said.
A spokesperson from WSDOT sent KIRO 7 this statement about the concerns over the project:
“Ongoing construction as part of the Interstate 90/State Route 18 Interchange Improvement project has made it necessary for the Washington State Department of Transportation and design-builder Aecon to adjust the traffic configuration at the intersection of SR 18 and Southeast 104th Street. We put a detour in place after observing real-time traffic patterns following the realignment of the eastbound SR 18 on-ramp to eastbound I-90 in late March. We immediately notified people living in the area of this change.
The decision to put a detour in place was made in the interest of safety for residents of the neighborhood, school buses, delivery drivers and all people traveling on SR 18, while still maintaining a safe work zone for construction crews. Before making these changes, we informed the Snoqualmie Valley School District and local police and fire departments so they could make necessary adjustments.
We understand this is disruptive and inconvenient for people accessing Southeast 104th Street, but we made these changes in the interest of safety for everyone.
The current traffic configuration is expected to remain in effect during construction of the I-90/SR 18 diverging diamond interchange, which will open this summer. WSDOT project engineers will continue to work with our contractor to find refinements that improve the connection with Southeast 104th Street and proactively communicate changes with the neighborhood.
We encourage people traveling in the area to add time to their travel plans, especially during peak travel periods. The temporary posted speed limit on SR 18 at the Southeast 104th Street is 30 mph. As we observe Work Zone Awareness Month in April, we ask all drivers to slow down and watch for work crews when traveling through all construction zones.” – WSDOT Construction Communicator David Rasbach
KIRO 7 also reached out to the construction company Aecon, which is a part of the project with WSDOT. We are still waiting for a response.
Flodin and other neighbors have reached out to their local representatives, like State Representatives Lisa Callan and Victoria Hunt, and State Senator Bill Ramos. Representative Callan tells KIRO7 she hasn’t had a chance to directly reach out to constituents or hear from WSDOT on the matter, but she hopes to change that soon. KIRO 7 also reached out to Representative Hunt and Senator Ramos and is waiting for that response.
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