Snohomish County Public Works has begun construction of a traffic safety improvement project on Lakewood Road.  The project will extend from Frank Waters Road at the west end to East Lake Goodwin Road on the eastern end.  The project will add left-turn pockets on Lakewood Road at the West Lake Goodwin Road / 52^nd Avenue NW intersection.  Turn pockets remove left-turning vehicles from the flow of traffic helping to prevent rear-end collisions.  In addition, eight-foot wide shoulders will be added along both sides of Lakewood Road to improve traffic and pedestrian safety.

The 56^th Avenue NW intersection has been the site of several accidents.  The curve in this portion of Lakewood Road will be modified to improve the sightline for drivers in the area.  Planter strips will be installed along the public right-of-way area in front of several businesses along Lakewood Road.  Currently, vehicles can enter and exit the parking lots at any point in front of the businesses, which increases the possibility of collisions.  The planter strips will define 30 to 40 foot wide entrances to the parking areas which will be wide enough to accommodate large delivery trucks and campers.

The project funding is part of the Enhanced Community Infrastructure Development Initiative (ECIDI), a bond-funded program developed by County Executive Reardon and the County Council in 2006 to speed delivery of 46 projects to neighborhoods throughout the county.  Construction is taking place Monday through Friday, 7 am - 4 pm.  There will be minor traffic delays, including entering and exiting Lake Goodwin Community Park.  The project will be finished in 2010.

For more information about this project, visit the County's Web site, www.snoco.org and search "roads".