Maple Valley officials and Goodfellow Bros will break ground on the intersection improvement at Witte Road and Southeast 248th Street at 5:15 p.m., Monday, July 19.

Goodfellow Bros are a Maple Valley contractor that was awarded the bid in June to do the work on the project which includes, according the city’s Public Works Director Steve Clark, building a roundabout and a number of other intersection and street improvements.

Work will likely begin the last week of July, Clark told the Reporter at the end of June.

Goodfellow’s bid of $3.33 million is about $1.6 million under the engineer’s estimate for the price tag of the project. Money for the project will come from the city’s capital budget as well as a $1.25 million federal grant.

In addition to building a roundabout, work will include extending curbs, gutters, sidewalks, bike lanes, drainage systems and landscaping from just south of Lake Wilderness Elementary past the Nazarene Church on Witte Road.

Existing utilities will be placed underground, a new pedestrian trail connection off of Witte Road will be built to connect the street to the Lake Wilderness Trail and a new crosswalk north of Southeast 248th will be put in to make crossing to the elementary school that much easier.

This project has been on the books for nearly a decade and Clark wants to make sure that drivers who take the route – one of three major arterials in Maple Valley – that road work is about to begin.

“People need to be aware that there are going to be delays,” Clark said. “With a two lane road the contractor is going to keep it open. To help people plan in advance … we’re going to have updated information on the website. People can sign up for e-notifications.”

The hope is the heavily used intersection that offers access to Lake Wilderness Park, the Greater Maple Valley Community Center, the Maple Valley library as well as a number of residential neighborhoods, will see a reduction in speeding through it, as well as safer crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.

Clark said a recent speed study of Witte Road showed that a number of drivers cruise down the road up to 55 or 60 mph with a posted speed limit of 35 mph.

“In addition to being improved for vehicle operation, it will also provide enhances safety for pedestrians and bicyclists in the community,” Clark said. “We’ll get it done and give them the best project we can.”

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place in the parking lot of the Greater Maple Valley Community Center, 22010 S.E. 248th Street.