218th Avenue SE Roadway Preservation Project

Status update
January 17, 2023
The 218th Avenue SE road reconstruction project is now complete. All lanes are open to traffic.
Crews will come back to put the finishing touches on the curb on the west side of 218th Ave. SE when warmer weather returns. The curb will help keep water off the road.
Thank you for your patience.
Overview
There are three travel lanes on 218th Avenue SE, two lanes northbound and one lane southbound. This project removes and replaces 1.4 miles of 218th Avenue SE from SE Green Valley Road to SE Auburn Black-Diamond Road west of Black Diamond, WA. This road is a King County lifeline and evacuation route. Many travelers also use this section of road as an alternate access route to State Route 169 (Enumclaw-Black Diamond Road SE). The pavement has been repaired and patched many times. The road and the support system under the road are now in poor condition and must be replaced. Restoration of this well-traveled road ensures its usefulness for years to come.
King County will rebuild one side of the road at a time. Two-way traffic will be maintained throughout construction as much as possible. Construction work includes excavating, restoring, and repaving the roadway and shoulders from the ground up. The county also will replace guardrail and improve roadside drainage.
What to expect during construction
Construction work will last through early January 2023. Our contractor will keep the road open to two-way traffic as much as possible throughout construction.
Work hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Our contractor has the option of working on Saturday as needed. Construction work will occur on one half of the road at a time. Two-way traffic will be shifted over to the available travel lane and shoulder to keep one lane in each direction open as often as possible. There will be times when one direction of traffic will be temporarily closed and a signed detour through Black Diamond will be used.
Driveway access: There are six driveways located with the project limits. We will maintain access to all driveways throughout most of the four (4)-month project. Advance notification will be provided to residents when crews need to temporarily restrict access to complete specific work.
Noise, odor, vibration: It is possible this work could be loud because the machinery used to break up pavement is noisy. Also, the equipment used to install and smooth out fresh asphalt may cause excess vibration and odor. That said, road reconstruction work is a moving operation. Any loud noise, odor or vibration should only be temporary as the machinery moves down the road.

Frequently asked questions
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