The accelerated construction schedule for a major new road in East King County is proceeding on schedule, and the first half of the roadway should be open within five months.

The King County Roads Services Division reports that construction of the Sammamish Plateau Access Road (SPAR) North Link – or the North SPAR as it's commonly known – is well underway. See an online photo gallery of the work now underway.

When completed, the North SPAR will connect the intersection of Issaquah-Fall City Road and Issaquah-Pine Lake Road to a new road network providing direct access to Interstate 90. The project is being fast-tracked to relieve congestion in Issaquah, Sammamish and along heavily traveled portions of I-90.

Utility work started this week on the divided section of the roadway that travels through the Issaquah Highlands development. This couplet is where the North SPAR will connect with a South SPAR segment that feeds into the new Sunset Interchange which the state Department of Transportation is constructing on I-90. The couplet should be open to traffic by next January.

King County is working cooperatively with the state, the city of Issaquah, and the developers of Issaquah Highlands to create an entire new road network to serve the Sammamish Plateau. The linked projects should also relieve back-ups on I-90 at the Front Street exit.

The county’s project continues north from the couplet over the North Fork of Issaquah Creek and across Black Nugget Road, before linking up with the Issaquah-Fall City Road intersection.

Work on a new bridge over the North Fork is also on schedule. The foundation has been poured and girders set in place. Crews are now laying the bridge deck and installing utility lines that must also cross the creek. The bridge work must be completed by Sept. 30 to avoid interfering with salmon spawning in the creek.

A portion of Black Nugget Road has been filled and repaved with a temporary surface so motorists can continue to use the existing road while the North SPAR is under construction. When the new bridge is complete, a larger section of Black Nugget Road will be filled.

Alongside Issaquah-Fall City Road, clearing and grading continues for the North SPAR. Work to merge the two roadways into a single segment feeding into the Issaquah-Pine Lake Road intersection will begin this fall.