Officials uncertain when work will start

A key commuter corridor between Renton and Factoria – Duvall Avenue Northeast – will not close as scheduled on Monday for the start of a major widening project because the contractor has yet to receive a key permit, according to city officials.

When the year-long project will begin is uncertain, but the City of Renton will post updates on its Web site.

The contractor for the $15 million project still needs to obtain a stormwater discharge permit from the state Department of Transportation.

The city has worked for years on the design for the project and then public outreach. The one-year closure has raised concerns from businesses near Duvall and Sunset Boulevard about the impact on their bottom line.

The closure begins just north of the business area, which cuts off easy access for their customers from such places as Newcastle and Bellevue. Access is still available from the south and the city will provide signs directing shoppers to those businesses from Sunset.

Homeowners in developments that fan off from Duvall also will have access to their homes, sometimes through detours and sometimes off of Duvall itself.

The project won’t affect any bus routes this school year, according to Randy Matheson, a spokesman for the Renton School District.

The project includes a widening of Duvall Avenue Northeast/Coal Creek Parkway to five lanes (including a center two-way left-turn lane for most of its length) from Sunset Boulevard to Southeast 95th Way.

The project includes adding curbs, gutters, sidewalks and bicycle lanes on both sides of Duvall Avenue Northeast.

The project will also convert overhead power lines to underground lines, adding to the safety and for future protection, especially during storms and emergencies.

The improvements within Renton and in King County will dovetail with a City of Newcastle’s Coal Creek Parkway Widening project to the north.

The official detour for traffic during the Duvall project will be Northeast Sunset Boulevard and I-405. However, traffic also is expected to increase on Union Avenue Northeast and 148th Avenue Southeast.

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