Lynn Roberts, executive director of the Greater Maple Valley Community Center, is glad that in less than a year visitors won’t be taking their lives into their hands when they make a left hand turn onto Witte Road.
Roberts was at the groundbreaking celebration Maple Valley city officials hosted near Witte Road on Monday afternoon. Work will begin on the project in about a week.
“We’re very excited it’s finally going to happen,” Roberts said. “For those walking across the street to the library, especially the youth who go to The Den and go back and forth, it’s just plain dangerous.”
Goodfellow Bros., a Maple Valley firm, won the $3.33 million project. The firm’s bid 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.
“We’re keeping our capital dollars local,” said Mayor Noel Gerken.
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 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.
“The enhancements to the corner, landscaping, the community art will make for a community focal point for the city,” Roberts said. “I happen to be one of the people who believe it will be safer. And this is going to be so beautiful.”
Gerken told a group of city staff, neighbors and others in attendance at the groundbreaking “this project has been a long time coming.”
“The main reason for this project is safety,” Gerken said. “Try to cross this intersection at rush hour and it’s a mess.”
Council members unanimously approved the project some time ago, Gerken explained, and “we’ve had a few hiccups, but here we are today.”
Work on the project is expected to be complete in April 2011.
