King - WEST SNOQUALMIE VALLEY RD
Project Number: 1641
From milepost 3.78 to milepost 4.94
RATA Funds: $4,093,020
Legislative District: 45
Status:
Date Approved: 2009
This is a recognized farm-to-market route for the Seattle-Bellevue metropolitan area. This segment of the West Snoqualmie Valley Road was originally constructed by the private property owners as a farm access road in the early 20th century. It was established as a county road in 1933 as the Solberg Connection Road and was important in the transportation of milk from the many dairy farms along the road to the Carnation Farm for processing and distribution. During the removal of existing subgrade the contractor discovered a solid timber layer. Based upon observations of the exposed timbers were a portion of a buried plank road. After the discovery FHWA entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with DAHP. In accordance with that agreement the plank road and additional timber road elements were inventoried and recorded on a Washington State Archaeological Site Inventory Form, prior to removal. There are historic properties in the vicinity of the project, most significantly the Vincent Schoolhouse (1905) is a King County Landmark. In addition, the John Hilmer Gustovson Barn is listed on the Washington Heritage Barn Register and other dairy farms attesting to the importance of that industry along this corridor.
The roadway had a thin layer of asphalt (3 inches) over little base (1 inch), typically crushed surfacing was not found. The existing pavement exhibited many areas of severe fatigue cracking along both wheel paths. Multiple ditch wash-outs were continually undercutting the roadway. Fourteen unnamed tributaries cross West Snoqualmie Valley Road NE within the project limits. Six of these streams cross in failing culverts and five cross in undersized drainage culverts.
The road was reconstructed to include a geogrid base reinforcement, six inches of crushed surfacing and six inches of asphalt. In addition, proper drainage features were installed which included six box culverts, five 24 inch culverts and a short span bridge. Public presentations on the history of the road focused on the timber road elements uncovered during construction have been positively received, with the Roads Blog entry on the project receiving the most views of any article ever posted there.
The roadway had a thin layer of asphalt (3 inches) over little base (1 inch), typically crushed surfacing was not found. The existing pavement exhibited many areas of severe fatigue cracking along both wheel paths. Multiple ditch wash-outs were continually undercutting the roadway. Fourteen unnamed tributaries cross West Snoqualmie Valley Road NE within the project limits. Six of these streams cross in failing culverts and five cross in undersized drainage culverts.
The road was reconstructed to include a geogrid base reinforcement, six inches of crushed surfacing and six inches of asphalt. In addition, proper drainage features were installed which included six box culverts, five 24 inch culverts and a short span bridge. Public presentations on the history of the road focused on the timber road elements uncovered during construction have been positively received, with the Roads Blog entry on the project receiving the most views of any article ever posted there.