Issaquah-Fall City Road Closure Extended To May 1

SAMMAMISH, WA — A road-widening and bridge construction project in the Klahanie area will continue for several months, with closures remaining in place along Southeast Issaquah-Fall City Road until May, Sammamish officials announced Thursday.

When completed, the busy stretch of roadway will have two travel lanes in each direction, bike lanes, pedestrian improvements and a new bridge crossing over the North Fork Issaquah Creek.

Initially, the Sammamish Public Works Department had hoped to reopen the road, between 247th Place Southeast and Klahanie Drive Southeast, by the end of January. In an announcement shared Thursday morning, officials said the timeframe was no longer feasible, and the work left would require several months to complete and detours would need to remain in place.

The city said in a statement:

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, including construction delays caused by necessary third party utility relocations and inclement weather, the City of Sammamish Public Works Department has determined the road opening by end of January is not feasible.

The City of Sammamish has looked at options to hasten the construction or partial openings, but has determined in an abundance of caution that these options are not safe nor realistic due to weather events and fiscal constraints.

Upon reviewing the contractor's updated and current schedule, and the status of utility relocations, the bridge and roadway are now scheduled to be opened to traffic on May 1, 2021.

We understand this inconvenience and thank you for your continued patience as we work to improve the City’s traffic flow."

Prior to the project, the city estimated 1,800 vehicles traveled the stretch of road during peak hours, leading to congestion and safety concerns from limited sightlines. The reimagined road will double the number of travel lanes, add two-lane roundabouts and allow for separated sidewalks and high-intensity crossing beacons near Pacific Cascade Middle School.

Learn more about the Issaquah-Fall City Road improvement project on the city's website.