EVERETT, NOV. 20: Many a motorist who drive across State Route (SR) 9 through Snohomish will say – it’s about time! A new bridge project across the Snohomish River is underway.
The project will include widening the highway from two lanes to four lanes from Marsh Road near Harvey Field north to the 2nd Street interchange. A whole new bridge is also anticipated to be built across the Snohomish River, with repairs to the current bridge which was built in 1959.
The entire project is projected at $142 million.
Addressing Rising Traffic Volumes
The Snohomish County population has ballooned from nearly 340,000 in 1980 to around 870,000 today. Many of the new residents live in Snohomish north past Lake Stevens. Over the years, SR 9 has had a number of improvement projects, including widening the highway from two to four lanes from Woodinville to Marsh Rd., as well as through much of Lake Stevens. Not to mention the installation of roundabouts at key intersections to help keep the heavier volume of traffic moving.
This new project is yet another plan to address a stretch of two-lane roadway that is often congested with slow traffic, mainly during commute hours. Morning and afternoon commutes are regularly frustrating for drivers. This project is expected to help.
Project Schedule
The bridge project will begin soon, with pile-driving expected to continue into early spring. Anticipate this work to be noisy. The widening of the highway north of the bridge is planned to begin next year.
Once the new bridge and widening project reach the finish line in 2027, the current bridge will handle northbound traffic while the new bridge will have traffic moving southbound. There will be two lanes in both directions from Marsh Rd to a revised 2nd Street interchange. That interchange will include new on and off ramps and sharply improve the limited visibility and short acceleration lane merging southbound just before the bridge.
Traffic Flow Impact
During construction, Washington State Department of Transportation anticipates a limited impact on SR 9. A ‘Work Zone’ will be created to shift traffic flow slightly with road work occurring behind jersey barriers.
The current bridge is also scheduled to get a new coat of paint. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2028 and offer relief to current congestion along that stretch of SR 9.
