Drivers can expect a much smoother East Valley Highway in Kent over the next couple of years.
City officials plan to repave the busy highway, also known as 84th Avenue South, between South 196th Street and South 180th Street, at a cost of about $3 million.
City staff presented the City Council with its proposed street work plan on Aug. 16 for how to spend business and occupation (B&O) revenue in 2017. The tax is expected to bring in about $7.5 million this year and even more revenue in 2017.
The city’s plan is to spend $1.5 million of the fund on the East Valley Highway project to help get a $1.5 federal grant through the Puget Sound Regional Council, which distributes the money.
“This grant is really hard to get but we are steps closer to receiving that funding,” said Joe Araucto, city pavement management engineer. “Our goal is to design it in 2017 and the (federal) funding requires us to complete it in 2018.”
Councilwoman Dana Ralph asked city staff if the project includes fixing the railroad crossing near South 190th Street.
Tim LaPorte, city public works director, replied that the track has a private owner who will be required to upgrade the crossing because he has an easement with the city for a right-of-way across the street. The agreement requires a track upgrade by the owner when the city repaves the street.
Another large project would cost about $1.4 million to install concrete pavement along East James Street between Central Avenue and Jason Street in an effort to help the road last longer with the high water that floods the street.
Crews are repaving East James Street this year with B&O funds up the hill from near Jason Avenue to the Benson Highway. That works is expected to be done in October.
LaPorte said other flood-fighting projects to help keep James Street open include the pump station work to be completed next month that will drain water south to the Green River, The city also plans to raise its Upper Mill Creek dam near the Home Depot store as well as dredge Mill Creek. LaPorte said the dam project could go out to bid next year while the permits to dredge the creek will take time.
“Those three endeavors should greatly reduce the times that James Street is underwater,” LaPorte said.
The other major project on the list would spent about $1 million to replace the intersection at South 212th Street and 72nd Avenue South with concrete.
“The intersection is in rough shape,” Araucto said. “This is the busiest road we have and with seven lanes the most expensive to maintain. A tremendous amount of trucks go through intersection.”
Concrete is a more sustainable surface and the plan is it would hold up similar to the concrete intersection that has done well at South 180th Street and the East Valley Highway, Araucto said.
Araucto also recapped for the council earlier projects completed with B&O funds, including a portion of Central Avenue South last year from Willis Street to about South 262nd Street. The nearly $7 million project to repave the 1-mile stretch included new sidewalks, curbs and gutters. The city received a $1.7 million federal grant to help pay for the work.
Kent used about $2.2 million from the B&O tax, $1.7 million from the city’s water fund and $600,000 from the city’s sewer fund. New waterlines and protective lining for the sewer lines were part of the project.
The council approved a B&O tax in 2013 to help pay for street repairs because so many roads were in bad shape.
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