Aurora Corridor, N 185th to N 205th - City construction update

To be competitive in seeking outside funding, the last mile of Aurora (N 185th to N 205th Streets) has been broken up into two separate projects: N 185th to N 192nd Streets and N 192nd to N 205th Streets.

At its December 13, 2010 meeting, the Shoreline City Council awarded the construction contract for the N 185th to N 192nd Streets section in the amount of $8.2 million to Johansen Excavating based in Buckley, WA. The contract amount is below the City’s original cost estimate of $9.1 million. Total estimated cost for this section including construction, right-of-way acquisition, construction management, contingencies, design, and environmental is approximately $15.5 million. The City’s cost share is roughly 10% with the balance coming from funding partners at the federal, state, and county level.

Please visit the Construction Page for additional information.

The City hosted a Meet the Construction Team Open House on January 26, 2011 for the benefit of nearby businesses, tenants, and property owners who will be impacted by the project. View display boards for some of the information shared at this meeting.

N 185th to N 205th
Schedule

Initial work to install a stormwater pipe through the intersection of Aurora and N 192nd Street has been completed, traffic has been shifted to the east, and crews have begun construction on the west side of Aurora. Crews will trench to install underground utilities and will build several retaining walls due to grade changes in this area.

Other construction activities include building new sidewalks, rain gardens, landscape zones and driveways. Construction on the Rain Garden Plaza (pdf download) at the King County Metro Park and Ride on the southwest corner of N 192nd Street and Aurora will begin early and continue throughout the project.

Work is expected to begin on the east side of Aurora in mid-summer, after construction on the west side is generally complete. Finally, crews will construct medians and left- and U-turn pockets in the middle of the roadway. Work between N 185th and N 192nd Streets is expected to be complete in winter 2012, weather permitting.

Download the Design Map to see the locations of sidewalks, curbs, driveways and more.

New: Plaza and green walls

Improvements for this section of Aurora will be similar to those on the first two miles including wider sidewalks separated from the roadway by landscaping and other amenities, traffic-level and pedestrian-level lighting, and landscaped center medians with left turn and U-turn pockets.

New to this segment of the Aurora Corridor Project are “green walls” (download pdf) and a plaza that will be located near the King County Metro Park and Ride on N 192nd Street and Aurora. Green walls are walls designed to incorporate living elements such as climbing plants. Due to the change in grade at this section of the corridor, retaining walls are necessary on both the east and west sides of Aurora. To help improve the appearance of these structures, the wall design will allow low-maintenance, evergreen and deciduous plant species to grow on and cover the face of the walls. At some locations, plants will grow up over decorative steel mesh or wire panels to add a three dimensional aspect.

Underground stormwater treatment and storage systems are necessary at N 192nd Street and Aurora, near the King County Metro Park and Ride. Instead of merely covering the space with grass or concrete, the City is taking advantage of the opportunity by creating a plaza. Designers carefully considered important parameters such as creating access for maintenance vehicles, providing a safe space, preventing loitering, and thinking about future development opportunities.

The plaza will also incorporate rain gardens, planting beds, and benches. Rain gardens use water-loving plants to mimic forests, collecting, absorbing and filtering stormwater runoff naturally. Designers are also incorporating educational signs that will describe the drainage improvements along the Aurora Corridor.

HDR Engineering is the design consultant and will provide design services during construction. KBA, Inc. will provide construction management services and EnviroIssues will assist with community outreach and manage the 24-hour hotline.

N 192nd to N 205th Streets

Phase: Design/Preliminary Right-of-Way Acquisition

HDR Engineering continues design work for Aurora between N 192nd and N 205th Streets with design components similar to those of the other miles of the Aurora Corridor Project. The City has received State approval of its Right-of-Way Plan and property acquisition is underway. City staff have met with property owners to discuss the project and any potential impacts to their respective properties. Additional funding will continue to be pursued for this segment, and the City anticipates that construction between N 192nd and N 205th Streets could begin as early as the summer of 2012.

All material in this story from City of Shoreline, where you can access more information and sign up for email updates.