Project Background & History

Overview

This project will widen Issaquah Fall City Road to four lanes, between 242nd Ave SE and Klahanie Dr SE. The additional lanes along with roundabouts at 242nd, 247th, and Klahanie Drive will improve traffic flow and reduce commute times on this highly-congested roadway. 

Goals and Benefits

As part of the newly annexed section of the City (January 1, 2016), SE Issaquah-Fall City Road is a vital connection route to residents of the City of Sammamish and surrounding communities. This project will double the existing two-lane section to a four-lane section and promote the City’s goals of complete streets by including bike lanes, sidewalks, landscaping, and a protected student crossing at Pacific Cascade Middle School. A bridge located between 247th and Klahanie Drive will raise the roadway to improve safety and meet federal driver stopping sight distance requirements. North Fork Issaquah Creek will be removed from a culvert underneath the roadway into a stream channel spanned by the bridge.

Project milestones

The 100% design plans, specs, and estimate have been delivered and work is focused on attaining permits & right of way agreements. Permits and right of way are required before securing an advertisement date and a 2019 construction start date.

Timeline

3/22/16 City Council reviewed and approved Design Contract
4/19/16 Council Briefing 1, Project Introduction
5/12/16 Public Meeting 1, Pacific Cascade Middle School
May 2016: Began Project Stakeholder Meetings with Schools, Churches, Businesses, Homeowners Associations (details below)
5/24/16 Council Briefing 2, Public Meeting 1 Summary
7/13/16 Public Meeting 2, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Meeting Summary
7/19/16 Council Briefing 3, Public Meeting 2 Summary
7/20/16 Transportation Committee Meeting
7/28/16 Meeting with Issaquah School District, Principal of Pacific Cascade Middle School 
8/2/16 Meeting between the Transportation Committee, Eastridge Church (242nd Intersection) 
9/2/16 Transportation Committee Project Update
10/17/16 Hunters Ridge, Hunters Place, Caliterra HOA meeting
1/10/17 City Council Meeting Presentation on Bridge vs Culvert Stream Crossing
2/7/17 City Council Stream Crossing Selection Presentation (Bridge was selected)
6/1/17 Public Meeting 3
7/17/17 30% Plan Design completed
10/26/17 Construction and Detour Public Workshop here
11/17/17 60% Plan Design completed
3/13/18 City Council Study Session
4/10/18 City Council Study Session
5/1/18 City Council Consent Agenda Approval of Roadway Closure for Bridge Construction

Current work item: Receive JARPA permit approval from Army Corps and SEPA from DOE

Budget

$28M will be programmed in the 2017-2022 City of Sammamish Six Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for phase 1 of the Issaquah Fall City Road (IFCR) project, between 242nd and Klahanie Drive. $20M will be allocated in the Six Year TIP for phase 2 of the IFCR project, from Klahanie Drive to Issaquah Beaver Lake Road.

A $5M CONNECTING WASHINGTON grant has been awarded to the project. Funds will be allocated for project construction costs, with $3.5M in Phase 1, and $1.5M for Phase 2 construction.

NOTE: The phase 1 budget estimate has been modified to include a bridge. Please keep in mind that TIP values are planning level estimates that include design, construction, right of way and environmental estimates. Engineer's quantity & cost estimates are developed continually throughout the design process, and increase in accuracy as the project nears construction.