Edmonds drivers who use State Route 104 through Lake Forest Park, take note: Replacement of a collapsed rock retaining wall just off SR 104/Ballinger Way Northeast in Lake Forest Park will require a 16-day closure of Northeast 195th Street.
Beginning at 7 a.m. Monday, Oct. 10, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will close a short section of Northeast 195th Street at the Ballinger Way intersection. The road will reopen by 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25.
Drivers will follow a signed detour, but should expect some delays and add a few extra minutes to their trips. Pedestrian access on Northeast 195th Street will be maintained.
The retaining wall is made up of rocks placed in large wire cages called gabions. Beneath it is a culvert that carries Ballinger Creek under Northeast 195th Street.
Earlier this year, a WSDOT maintenance worker discovered the rock wall on the southeast corner of the intersection had pulled away from the roadway embankment.
“The collapse left an exposed vertical dirt face along Northeast 195th Street,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Dave Lindberg. “If left unrepaired, the dirt face will continue to erode, eventually undermining the sidewalk and the intersection.”
To replace the existing wall, crews from Granite Construction will divert Ballinger Creek into a large pipe placed across Northeast 195th Street and close the road to motor vehicle traffic. After the creek is diverted, the gabions will be removed, crews will then excavate the area and install a new retaining wall.
The total project cost is estimated at $505,000 from federal emergency relief and pre-existing state funds.
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