#SNOHOMISH — A project to relieve congestion at a choke point on state Route 9 near Snohomish is slated to begin in early 2025.
#The $142 million project includes widening the highway between Marsh Road and Second Street to two lanes in each direction and building a second bridge across the Snohomish River west of the existing bridge. The new bridge will become the southbound lanes, and the existing bridge will become the northbound lanes.
#“I do believe the new bridge will ease congestion, especially with the evening commute merge that currently happens before the bridge,” said Sam Low, a County Council member and state representative from Lake Stevens who has championed transportation funding.
#State Route 9 is the only north-south roadway through Snohomish County besides Interstate 5. As the county population soared by more than 400,000 residents since 1980, the rural highway has suffered increasing congestion.
#Drivers have started detouring through Snohomish and other cities adjacent to state Route 9 seeking shortcuts.
#“I think that widening the bridge might potentially decrease the number of vehicles cutting through town,” said Snohomish Mayor Linda Redmon, “but that would just be speculation on my part.”
#Other improvements will be modifying the Second Street on/off ramps, painting the existing bridge, and upgrading lighting, traffic signals, and lane configurations.
#Snohomish officials have lobbied Legislators to fund widening the bridge for more than 15 years.
#The state Department of Transportation plans to bid the job in August and hire a contractor in the fall. The new highway bridge will open sometime in 2026.
#Though there is no detailed construction schedule, WSDOT said the following closures might be needed at various points during construction:
#• Nightly full or one-directional closures of ramps and mainline state Route 9
#• Short (up to two weeks) and/or long-term (up to six months) closures of Lowell Road
#• Partial closures of Marsh Road and Airport Way
#WSDOT also plans to finish widening state Route 9 to four lanes in the Cathcart area between 176th St. SE and state Route 96 (Lowell-Larimer Road).
#That $22 million project is scheduled for 2025-2027.
