Traffic Alert: Road Work Tonight at Third and Central Way

As if the bottlenecks created by the work at Sixth and Central Way were not enough, Sound Transit is advising Kirkland motorists that it will be repaving an intersection three blocks away on Thursday night and Friday morning

However, the project to repave the intersection and paint crosswalks at Third and Central, part of the Kirkland Transit Center project, will be at night and and should be finished Friday.

The Sixth and Central Work by the City of Kirkland is scheduled to run into July, and is proving a major disruption for drivers.

“I think there is room for improvement there,” acknowledged Kari Page, Kirkland Public Works Department spokeswoman. “We’ve heard complaints that it was unsafe. We’ve had a number of hiccups along the way. But the amazing thing is, the project is still on track.”

The new Kirkland Transit Center was essentially completed and re-opened in February. But repaving of the two intersections on either end of the center could not be done during the cold, wet weather of winter, said Kimberly Reason, Sound Transit spokeswoman.

If the weather allows, the first intersection will be done tonight (June 9) and tomorrow morning (June 10). The second intersection, at Third and Kirkland Avenue, has not yet been scheduled.

One lane in each direction will be open to traffic and there will be flaggers on-site to direct pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Sound Transit’s contractor will be working under a noise variance from the City of Kirkland, so noise can be expected as crews peel away the old surface.

The $2.05 million project nearby at Sixth and Central Way, to improve traffic flow by realigning lanes and to add sidewalks, new lighting and landscaping, must be finished by July 4 under the terms of a state grant that footed most of the bill. But it is on schedule, said Page.

There have been serious and regular backups during commute hours, both heading east on Central Way and north on Sixth.

“It is typical for people to get frustrated,” Page said. “People aren’t remembering that work is going on, or that there are easy ways around the intersection to reach the freeway (Interstate 405 just to the east). But I think we could huddle more about it.”

Most of the surfacing work in the roadway should be done in the next three weeks, which will ease the situation. That will leave sidewalk and landscaping work.

In the meantime, the city is urging motorists to do their best to avoid that intersection.