Kirkland’s capital improvement program is currently managing more than a dozen active projects that, when completed, will improve the community’s basic needs. Below is a digest of 12 of those projects.
Cochran Springs (environment)
Nighttime lane-closures continue this week on a short section of Lake Washington Boulevard, just north of Northup Way while Kirkland’s contractor buries one of the street’s water mains deeper beneath the arterial’s east side. The lane-closures begin at 8 p.m.
The city is relocating this and one other water main on Lake Washington Boulevard’s west side to make room for a box culvert that will reduce flood risks and improve fish habitat. Private utility operators are also relocating their respective utilities to create space for the box culvert.
Installation of the box culvert will require a 30-day closure of Lake Washington Boulevard, sometime after the Fourth of July and before Oct. 1.
To learn more, visit www.kirklandwa.gov/cochransprings
Waverly Beach renovation (recreation)
Nordland Construction is still on track to complete Kirkland’s renovation of Waverly Beach Park by mid-May. Its workers are currently laying the beach’s new improvements and building its retaining wall. The contractor has already laid the foundation for the new picnic shelter, graded the park for utilities and prepared it for the new play structure. Soon, Nordland Construction’s crews will begin renovating the dock by removing its wooden surface and replacing it with a surface of dock grating. To learn more, search “Waverly Beach Park Renovation Project” on www.kirklandwa.gov.
Northeast 80th Street water and sewer main (public health)
The six-month process to replace the water and sewer main under South Rose Hill’s Northeast 80th Street is scheduled to begin in early spring after City Council awards the construction contract on March 15.
Project Engineer Scott Gonsar expects Kirkland’s prospective contractor to finish the work by early fall.
The street will remain open to pedestrian, bicycle and automobile traffic. However, the contractor will need to close individual travel lanes to perform the work. This will require some detours for automobiles, cyclists and pedestrians. The project plans call for the repaving of Northeast 80th Street during the summer paving season of 2017. To learn more, visit www.kirklandwa.gov/80thwaterandsewer.
Rose Point Lift Station (public health)
The Rose Point Lift Station project team is using the feedback from the neighborhood to help it choose the style and color tone of the 300 square-foot structure that will house a new replacement lift station in the Market Neighborhood. Residents offered their feedback through email and two open houses. The city is replacing and relocating a new sewage lift station to the east side of 10th Street West, across the street from its current location and the Rose Point Community Club. Construction begins later this year or early in 2017. To learn more, search “Rose Point Lift Station” on www.kirklandwa.gov.
Sixth Street traffic signals
The city of Kirkland is continuing work with property owners to purchase the land necessary to build a new four-way traffic signal at Sixth Street’s intersections with Kirkland Way. Once Kirkland has acquired the necessary land, it will reconfigure the intersection’s turn-lanes to accommodate the turning-radii of buses and rebuild it with concrete to better withstand buses’ heavier weights. Kirkland is also designing a three-way traffic signal at Sixth Street and Ninth Avenue. Project engineers expect construction to begin this summer on both intersection and to be complete early in 2017. That timeline, however, depends on Kirkland acquiring the necessary land.
Third Avenue South and Second Street South water and sewer mains (public health)
A project to replace the aging water and sewer mains along a couple of downtown residential streets begins this summer. Kirkland’s design consultant is halfway through the design of a 12-inch sewer main and an eight-inch water main. The prospective contractor will replace the sewer main that runs along Second Street South, from First Avenue South to Third Avenue South and then along Third Avenue South east to State Street South. That contractor will also replace the water main along Second Street South from First Avenue South to Third Avenue South. The work will require several closures of Second Street South.
Juanita Creek Rockery
Razz Construction has replanted native vegetation—Pacific Dogwood, Oregon Grape, Western Red Cedar, Huckleberry—along a section of Juanita Creek near Northeast 129th Place. The replanting completes the city of Kirkland’s effort to protect 129th Place Northeast from scouring and slope erosion during flood events by replacing the rock wall there with a retaining wall. The King County Opportunity Fund helped fund the project.
Juanita Drive corridor design
Kirkland’s staff and consulting engineers have started to add detail to the 10 Quick Wins projects identified in the Juanita Drive Corridor Study. Those projects include four sets of rapid flashing beacons, northbound bicycle lanes, rumble strips, street lighting on Northeast 122nd Place, a bike box at the Northeast 116th Street intersection and neighborhood gateway signs. The project team expects construction to begin this year. To learn more, search “Juanita Drive Corridor Design” on www.kirklandwa.gov.
100th Ave. corridor design (public safety)
The city of Kirkland hired engineering firm HDR to re-design 100th Avenue Northeast, from Northeast 132nd Street to Northeast 145th Street. The design process will rely heavily on the public’s feedback and, to some extent, the broad principles outlined in the 100th Avenue corridor study. That study highlighted the corridor’s lack of complete pedestrian and bicycle facilities, such as bike lanes and sidewalks. To learn more, search “100th Avenue Corridor Design” on www.kirklandwa.gov.
Northeast 52nd Street sidewalks (public safety)
Engineers are currently designing a project that will enhance Lake Washington Boulevard’s only connection to the Cross Kirkland Corridor. Project Engineer Lane Kawaoka expects construction to begin this summer on the 2,400-foot-long sidewalk along Northeast 52nd Street. The sidewalk, destined for 52nd’s north side, will connect Lake Washington Boulevard to 108th Avenue Northeast. The city of Kirkland earned a $1.068 million grant from Washington’s Department of Commerce to pay for the sidewalk. The city hired the engineering firm of KPG to design it.
Goat Hill (environment)
A stormwater project that will mitigate one of Juanita Drive’s biggest flood threats begins this summer. Kirkland is upgrading the storm drain system on Goat Hill to convey much more stormwater. Specifically, it will replace the current stormwater pipe with an 18-inch pipe. Construction will continue until fall.
Repaving arterials (infrastructure)
Kirkland’s street preservation program will repave portions of six city arterials this construction season in five different neighborhoods. The street list includes sections of Finn Hill’s 84th Avenue Northeast, Juanita’s 93rd and 100th avenues northeast, North Rose Hill’s Slater, Kingsgate’s 132nd Avenue and Bridle Trails’ Northeast 60 Street. The street preservation program will also extend the service lives of 15 lane-miles of neighborhood roads in Finn Hill, Everest and Central Houghton with a pavement saver called slurry seal. To learn more, search “street preservation” on www.kirklandwa.gov
