King County is planning three major congestion relief projects in South King
County that could solve several existing traffic and safety problems in a
corridor that stretches from Southcenter to the Soos Creek Plateau.
The King County Roads Services Division will host an open house to discuss
the projects on Tuesday, Oct. 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Benson Hill
Elementary School, 18665 116th Ave. SE, Renton. The goal is to
update citizens on what is being studied, and solicit input.
All three projects focus on the Carr Road/Trans-Valley Corridor, a
seven-mile arterial that runs west to east between Southcenter Parkway and
Southeast 184th Street. Individual projects include:
- An Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project to interconnect
traffic signals and cameras via fiberoptic cable between Southcenter Parkway
and 151st Avenue Northeast. This $4 million project will also include Transit
Signal Priority to keep bus traffic moving, and variable message signs and
Internet traffic cameras to alert the public to potential problems.
Construction could begin in 2003 or 2004;
- Carr Road improvements from Lind Avenue Southwest to 116th Avenue
Southeast. The county is studying alternatives to increase roadway capacity
and improve safety in this 1.5-mile section of the corridor. Construction is
not planned until 2005;
- Intersection upgrades at Carr Road and SR 515 (Benson Road) that will
study additional turn lanes, driveway access to the main arterials, and
transit signal priority. Construction on this project is also estimated to
start in 2005.
The corridor is actually comprised of the following contiguous streets:
South 180th Street; Southwest 43rd Street; Carr Road; and Southeast Petrovitsky
Road. It includes 21 signalized intersections either owned, operated or
maintained by King County, the Washington State Department of Transportation,
and the cities of Tukwila, Renton and Kent.
More than 40,000 vehicles a day travel through the corridor which connects
residential neighborhoods with employment centers, industrial complexes,
shopping and recreation. There is additional information online at
