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218th Avenue SE Roadway Preservation Project

Project completed in January 2023
Dec. 16, 2022 – A look at the permanent striping and new guardrail on 218th Avenue. SE. 

Overview

There are three travel lanes on 218th Avenue SE, two lanes northbound and one lane southbound. This project removed and replaced 1.4 miles of 218th Avenue SE from SE Green Valley Road to SE Auburn Black-Diamond Road west of Black Diamond, WA. This road is a King County lifeline and evacuation route. Many travelers also use this section of road as an alternate access route to State Route 169 (Enumclaw-Black Diamond Road SE). Over time, the pavement has been repaired and patched repeatedly. The road and the support system under the road were in poor condition and needed to be replaced. Restoration of this well-traveled road ensures its usefulness for years to come.

King County rebuilt one side of the road at a time. Two-way traffic was maintained throughout construction as much as possible. Construction work included excavating, restoring, and repaving the roadway and shoulders from the ground up. The county also replaced guardrail and improved roadside drainage.


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Project area map

This project was located on 218th Avenue SE, west of Black Diamond, WA. 
218th Avenue SE is a critical lifeline route. Repairing the cracked surface helps maintain safe access for years to come. Large pavement cracks on 218th Avenue SE shown above could cause the road to break apart if not repaired.

Timeline

Construction starts: July 2022

Construction ends: January 2023

Funding

The total project cost is $6.2 million. This project was funded by local and Federal funding sources.

Photos

A look at the permanent striping and new guardrail on the rebuilt road of 218th Ave SE. Crews will return when the weather warms up to replace the orange barrels with a new curb which will help keep water off the road. (Photo: Dec. 16, 2022)
Crews returned to install a permanent guardrail where the wooden posts are located in late November or early December 2022. (Photo: 11/14/2022)
Take a peek at the progress of the road rebuild on the northbound lanes and shoulder of 218th Ave SE. (Photo: 11/11/2022)
Contractor crews put down the top layer of asphalt before the vibratory roller smooths out the outer northbound lane of 218th Ave. SE. (Photo: 10/25/2022)
Crews are hard at work rebuilding the northbound lanes and shoulder on 218th Ave. SE. (Photo: 9/23/2022)
The County maintains two-way traffic while crews rebuild all lanes and shoulders on 218th Ave. SE. (Photo: 9/15/22)
Many sections of 218th Avenue SE have severe cracking, shown above. This project completely rebuilds the road to eliminate cracks and potholes.

Related topics

Title VI compliance

Learn about Title VI compliance by the Road Services Division

Projects and programs

Road Services' projects and programs in unincorporated King County

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Learn about active capital projects in unincorporated King County

Plans and reports

Roads' plans and reports for unincorporated King County
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