On February 28, 2022, the Snoqualmie City Council unanimously approved Resolution 1609 requesting Washington State designate Snoqualmie Parkway as part of State Route 18.
The heavily used 3.5 mile, 4-lane divided Parkway connects SR 202 in downtown Snoqualmie to SR 18 at the I-90 interchange.
Snoqualmie Parkway was constructed in 1999 as a condition of the Developer Extension Agreement for the master-planned community of Snoqualmie Ridge. As a connector roadway for two state highways, design standards were incorporated when the Parkway was initially constructed that would not preclude it from future inclusion in the state highway system.
A 2020 traffic study concluded that over 80% of the pavement damage on Snoqualmie Parkway resulted from regional truck traffic rather than normal wear and tear from local traffic. As such, for the past 1.5 years, elected City representatives have worked with Washington State 5th District legislators to secure state funding for the City’s $6 million Snoqualmie Parkway Rehabilitation Project that will repave the deteriorating roadway.
Thanks to the hard work of City representatives and State legislators, the pending 2022 State Transportation Capital Budget includes an appropriation of $5 million for the Parkway Rehabilitation Project contingent upon the City designating Snoqualmie Parkway as an extension of SR 18.
“Given that the majority of the deterioration of Snoqualmie Parkway’s pavement is attributed to regional truck traffic, we feel it is in the best interest of our local taxpayers that the State be financially responsible for the bulk of roadway repairs and ongoing maintenance,” commented Mayor Katherine Ross. “This designation would be a win for our community.”
Resolution 1609 authorizes the Mayor and Administration to apply to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to designate Snoqualmie Parkway as part of SR 18 and negotiate a cooperative agreement with WSDOT regarding the allocation of responsibility, control, maintenance obligations, and future improvements of Snoqualmie Parkway if the application is approved.
With the designation of Snoqualmie Parkway as an SR 18 extension, WSDOT could become responsible for roadway conditions from curb to curb, with the City accountable for maintenance and improvements of sidewalks, ADA ramps and streetlights located outside of the curbs.
Earlier this week, Mayor Ross and City Councilmembers sent a letter of support to State legislators for the proposed State Transportation Capital Budget that contains funding for the Parkway Rehabilitation Project and widening of SR 18 between Hobart Road and Deep Creek.
The City will provide additional community updates on the designation of Snoqualmie Parkway as part of State Route 18 as information becomes available.
[Information provided by the City of Snoqualmie]
Comments
Bummer. I live in Seattle. I don’t free it appropriate to have my tax dollars be spent on Snoqualmie. Locals need to fund their backyard.
…and yet my King County tax dollars (yes Snoqualmie is part of King County) help fund Seattle projects all the time. Funny how that works; community tax dollars helping ALL members of a community.
Without the economic engine of Seattle there would be no Snoqualmie parkway. Poor planning on the part of local government is to blame. Over development caused this problem..
Without the economic engine of Bellevue/Redmond/Issaquah there would be no Snoqualmie parkway. Seattle….not so much.
Oh boy. Government bailout when you’re backyard needs fixing. Yet failure to plan.
Bummer. I live in Snoqualmie. I don’t feel it’s appropriate to have my tax dollars be spent on Seattle (although many of them are). Locals need to fund their backyard. Or better yet take a look at the &$#%hole their city has become.
Another way to look at this is Snoqualmie residents don’t want to pay for the road damage made by the regional trucking companies’ trucks using the Parkway. They don’t originate here, and they don’t end here. 80% of the wear and tear comes from them. 20% from passenger vehicle traffic. With tourists and others visiting Snoqualmie regularly, the wear and tear from Snoqualmie residents is less than 20%. So, this is a situation where “we’re happy to pay our share, if others pay their’s” comes into play. And that means state funds that everyone pays into.
“Locals need to fund their backyard.” I absolutely agree. I want a refund on all my Snoqualmie tax dollars spent on a Seattle light rail that won’t service my area – and probably never will. Further, I want all SR-202 and SR-18 traffic banned from my Snoqualmie Parkway. Since, y’know, it’s mine. And while we’re at it, please don’t come to my Snoqualmie Falls. Because, it’s also mine. In return I promise to never use Seattle resources. I haven’t been to Seattle since 2019 and I’ve managed to live a full and happy life in the meantime. Thank you.
On a more serious note: I would prefer that Snoqualmie council enforce the heavy vehicle limits on Snoqualmie Parkway. Heavy vehicles need to use the established SR-202 and I-90 diversion routes (via Fall City and North Bend). Alternatively, imposing somewhat punitive tolls on heavy vehicles using Sno Pkwy as a bypass might work.
Im in awe of this !! How bad is it ?? Many fatalities On that section of road from i-90 to downtown snoqualmie? Anyone securing funding for hgwy 18 frim raging river to habart Issaquah? Ive been reading all the cries for funding for years. Fatality after Fatality and now i have a loved one killed near summit of tiger mtn and it could have been possibly prevented. As many others. Any tempory fix? Street lights slower speeds temp dividers. Caution lights at bends? The road is uneven and catches tires its steep bendy with 0 shoulder and has been under scrutiny from taxpayers for years with only snoqualmie casino pledging 1 million$ how utterly sad and to boot we have 21 lab technicians working every county in wash. Every dui and blood test for criminal lab toxicology could be 10 months to get report of person that caused a wrongful death. Yet 565 pot shops prob more than 10,000 state employed drug dealers we cant find funding for one of the most treacherous sections of road in king county.!? Shame to those who have the powet and do nothing. I just read that wa is getting at minimum of 2 billion for road and bridge repair and that sectio may or may not get funding Washington may have to apply for a grant to do the work !!?? Wow for a state making like a billion in revenue from alcohol and marijuana. Not a proud washintonian today