It’s spring and that means it’s time to get working on Middle Fork Road again. Starting Monday April 18, 2016, the noon Monday through noon Friday closures of Middle Fork Road resumed.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said the road heavily used by outdoor enthusiasts will be open from noon Fridays through noon Mondays, though. These closures will continue through September 30, 2016.
The Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road Project will reconstruct approximately 9.7 miles of the Middle Fork Road, from milepost (MP) 2.7, just past the couplet, to Middle Fork Campground at MP 12.4.
A project description page the project will construct a 20-foot paved roadway with sections of 18-foot width used in constrained locations. Minor horizontal and vertical alignment adjustments will be made as needed to improve safety and blend with the context of the valley.
Two bridges will also be reconstructed and one bridge replaced with a culvert. Numerous existing roadway culverts will be replaced. Signing and other roadside safety features will also be upgraded.
This is almost the last construction season for the Middle Fork Road project. Construction was anticipated to occur from late-April through October in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Then in 2017, construction is expected to be mostly paving work from late-April through July.
Middle Fork Road accesses the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Natural Resources Conservation Area, which was established in 2011. Today, the conservation area has expanded to almost 11,000 acres and sits adjacent the Mount Si NRCA to create a large forested area stretching from the City of North Bend to Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. It climbs in elevation from 800 feet at the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River to 5,000 feet at some of the area’s highest peaks.
