MEMO TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
SUBJECT:
title
Approval of a Full Roadway Closure on 40th Street for seventeen (17) calendar days for Construction of the SR 520 Trail Grade Separation Project at NE 40th Street
I. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
Approve a full street closure on 40th Street generally between the 15200 Block and the westbound SR520 on/off ramps for seventeen (17) calendar days for the construction of the 520 Trail Grade Separation at 40th Street project.
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II. DEPARTMENT CONTACTS
Carol Helland, Interim Director, Planning & Community Development 425-556-2107
Donald Cairns, P.E., Manager 425-556-2834
Peter Dane, Senior Planner 435-556-2816
David Juarez, Director of Public Works 425-556-2733
Paul Cho, City Traffic Engineer 425-556-2751
Bassam Al-Ali , Senior Project Manager 425-556-2743
III. DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND
40th Street Full Closure
A full-street closure requires approval by the City Council in accordance with RMC 10.24.047. Construction of the tunnel structure for the 40th Street Trail Grade Separation project requires a 17 calendar days full closure of 40th Street. This closure is currently scheduled for August 7th through August 24th. The closure would be located on 40th Street at the west side of the intersection of the westbound 520 on-/off-ramps. The 520 interchange at 40th Street would continue to function, with access to both eastbound and westbound 520, but drivers would only be able to access the interchange from the east via 156th Avenue. A street closure diagram is available in Attachment B.
Keeping the interchange in operation and providing access from the east helps serve the most significant vehicle volumes at the interchange. Daily traffic volumes on 40th Street immediately east of the eastbound 520 on-/off-ramp are approximately 27,000 per day while volumes immediately west of the westbound 520 on-/off-ramp are approximately 18,000 per day.
Detours are planned to be signed along both 31st Street and 51st Street as alternate routes for travelers who are impacted. Mobility improvements on both routes will be completed in the Spring of 2020, prior to any street closure for the Grade Separation project. Impacts from the closure are also planned to be minimized to the extent feasible by timing the 40th Street closure in the summer, the time of year with the lowest travel volumes.
SR 520 Trail Grade Separation Project at NE 40th Street
This project will improve safety and operations for all users at the intersection of the SR 520 Trail and NE 40th Street by grade separating non-motorized users from vehicle traffic. A tunnel will be constructed underneath 40th Street for pedestrians and bicyclists and associated infrastructure improvements will connect the 520 Trail to the tunnel. Specific benefits of the project include:
• Improved safety for the high volume of pedestrians and bicyclists currently using the at-grade trail crossing, which conflicts with both through and turning traffic on NE 40th Street;
• Improved operations for vehicles and buses by reducing the number of pedestrians and bicycle crossing NE 40th Street; and
• Safe and efficient path for pedestrians and bicycles needing to cross NE 40th Street.
Please see Attachment A for a vicinity map.
Project Schedule and Coordination with Downtown Redmond Light Rail Extension
Construction of the 40th Street Trail Grade Separation project tunnel is scheduled to be substantially complete before construction begins at NE 40th Street for the Sound Transit Light Rail Extension from Overlake to Downtown Redmond. Remaining portions of the Grade Separation project are scheduled to be substantially complete by January 2021.
Below is a table showing the construction schedules for these two projects:
|
Project Tasks |
Schedule |
|
Advertisement for Construction Bids |
January 15, 2020 |
|
Award of Construction Bid (requires Council approval) |
March 17, 2020 |
|
Grade Separation Project Closure of NE 40th Street |
August 2020 |
|
Start Sound Transit Light Rail Construction at NE 40th Street |
Late Oct./Early Nov. 2020 |
|
Grade Separation Project Tunnel substantially complete |
September 2020 |
|
Grade Separation Project substantially complete |
January 2021 |
The tunnel construction for the Grade Separation project will occur on the west side of the SR 520 interchange at NE 40th Street, requiring a full closure of NE 40th Street at this location. The Downtown Redmond Light Rail Extension will require a partial closure on the east side of the SR 520 interchange at NE 40th Street. The City is trying to avoid overlapping lane closures between the two projects, which is accomplished with the schedule above.
IV. PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS HELD
Council Actions / Communication
|
7/19/2016 |
City Council, acceptance of $10.7 million Connecting Washington State Transportation Package funding for 40th Street Trail Grade Separation Project |
|
2/11/2020 |
Planning and Public Works Committee of the Whole, update on 40th Street closure for the 40th Street Trail Grade Separation Project |
|
3/3/2020 |
Community Facility District (CFD) 2016-1, approval of 40th Street Trail Grade Separation Project |
|
3/10/2020 |
Planning and Public Works Committee of the Whole, update on 40th Street Trail Grade Separation Project and requested Council approvals |
V. IMPACT
A. Service/Delivery:
The recommended actions will enable construction of the Trail Grade Separation project on schedule.
B. Fiscal Note:
Current funding and estimated costs for the 40th Street Trail Grade Separation project are below:
Current Project Budget:
Connecting WA Transportation package $10,589,302
Community Facilities District (CFD) 2016-1 $ 1,494,352
Additional State Funding from Connecting WA $ 1,818,277
Transportation CIP $ 360,000
Total Funding $14,261,931
Estimated Project Costs:
Preliminary Design Phase $ 441,639
Design Phase $ 1,428,191
Right-of-Way $ 64,164
Construction Phase $12,327,937
Total Estimated Project Cost $14,261,931
VI. ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Council could delay approval of the closure consistent with the requirements of RMC 10.24.047, however the contractor needs to know the length of the street closure to plan the construction schedule and Microsoft seeks confirmation of the length of the closure as this was the subject of negotiation between the City and Microsoft.
RMC 10.24.047 requires that the City seek Council approval prior to all street closures, provided that prior approval is not required in cases of an emergency or in cases where the street will be closed less than 12 hours.
The Code is not specific as to how far in advance of the closure the Council approval needs to be sought. The Code says the City must publish and post notice at least three days in advance of the closure, so the City would need approval at least far enough in advance to allow those deadlines to be met.
In cases of public works projects, however, it is best to obtain Council approval before or at the time the contract is entered into. The contractor needs to know that the street can be closed so that he or she can plan the construction schedule. They will use the closure as part of their critical path of construction and will rely on that closure to plan the sequence of the work.
If the closure is later changed by the City, that may impact the critical path and cause delays for which the City would have to compensate the contractor. It is therefore in everyone’s interest to have specific dates and to know them at the outset of the contract.
VII. TIME CONSTRAINTS
This project needs to begin construction in the Spring 2020 so work on the tunnel portion of the 40th Street Trail Grade Separation project can be substantially complete before construction begins at NE 40th Street for the Sound Transit Light Rail Extension from Overlake to Downtown Redmond. If the project does not meet this schedule, it will be at risk of delay up to two years due to the construction of the Sound Transit Downtown Redmond Light Rail Extension and additional costs due to delay.
VIII. LIST OF ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Vicinity Map
Attachment B: 40th Street full closure diagram