Paving work on Griffin Avenue in Enumclaw begins in spring

Enumclaw drivers will be making some detours throughout the spring and summer, as a heavily-traveled Griffin Avenue is chewed up and smoothed out.

Enumclaw drivers will be making some detours throughout the spring and summer, as a heavily-traveled Griffin Avenue is chewed up and smoothed out.

The state Department of Transportation is committed to spending somewhere in excess of $2 million – but less than $2.5 million – to upgrade the section of Griffin that also serves as the easternmost leg of state Route 164.

DOT spokeswoman Broch Bender said the project stretches a little more than a mile, from High Point Street to the junction of Griffin and state Route 410. Work is expected to begin in early April, she said, and continue into September.

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There will be daytime lane closures, she said, with identified detours to guide motorists around the ongoing work.

The project entails grinding away the existing asphalt and putting down a new surface. Before that work gets under way, Bender said, the DOT will replace 90 existing curb cuts at 26 intersections. The existing curb cuts – which allow wheelchairs to access city sidewalks – no longer meet specifications, she said, as the slope is too steep.

As part of the overall project, the DOT also will be installing a traffic light at the intersection of Watson Street and 410.

The DOT commissioned a traffic study, which showed enough vehicle trips to justify a light, Bender said, pointing out the growth in both businesses and homes south of the highway. The intersection has Safeway on one side and McDonald’s on the other.

A schedule for installation of the traffic light has not been established.

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