Drivers in Bonney Lake are bidding goodbye to orange safety vests and traffic cones this week, and welcoming new lanes and safer travel that comes with the completion of the State Route 410 Widening project.

To mark the occasion, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and contractor J.R. Hayes and Sons, Inc. are inviting state and county elected officials, residents and media to cut the ribbon and celebrate the opening of the new lanes at 10 a.m. today, Wednesday, Sept. 7. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on SR410 at the vacant lot at 225th Avenue, near Bowen Auto Used Cars.

The 1.5-mile project adds one lane in each direction for the 21,000 drivers who travel this section of SR 410 daily. It adds a raised median to separate the eastbound and westbound traffic between 214th and 234th avenues. A new traffic signal and revised traffic movements at the split intersection of 233rd and 234th avenues improves safety and mobility. Other improvements include stormwater treatment facilities, lighting at the traffic signals and better bus stops. Construction on the $18.4 million project started in March 2010.