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City of Des Moines
Transportation Gateway Project
Project Update: November 30, 2009
Background
The City of Des Moines initiated design of improvements to S. 216th Street and 24th Avenue S in the Spring of 2009 to expand these streets to accommodate multiple modes of travel (pedestrians, bicycles, transit, automobiles, & trucks) as well as accommodate future growth as reflected in the City’s comprehensive plan and zoning. The project limits are on S. 216th Street between I-5 and 20th Avenue S. and 24th Avenue S. between S. 208th Street and S. 216th Street, including roadway transitions to match existing streets. The Des Moines City Council reviewed preliminary design recommendations and feedback from the Community, approving a plan to advance into final design utilizing the “offset” alignment. The segment of S. 216th Street between I-5 and Pacific Highway will be deferred, except improvements necessary to accommodate lane transitions between the Pacific Highway S. intersection and 28th Avenue S.
Public Involvement
The City has published articles in its newsletter, distributed updates to the project web site (see below), sent out notices to the adjoining community, provided press releases and distributed flyers to affected properties and neighbors to solicit comments on the project. Two public open houses were held on April 14 and June 2 to initiate the design and seek public input on alternative alignment layouts. The public was invited to drop in to review the preliminary plans on October 8, 2009 and provide the City with comments to be considered in final design by October 15, 2009. Click here for a copy of the invitation. Additional public input will be sought as the project advances through final design in 2010.
The alternatives included an alignment that was symmetrical to the existing roadway vs. an alignment that offset from the current centerline to minimize impacts on developed properties. After consideration of public input from the neighborhood and feedback from the City of SeaTac, the Port of Seattle and others, the City Council directed staff to advance preliminary design of the “Offset Alignment” shown in rough draft form below.
Preliminary Design (Click for larger PDF)
Design Report
Design rapidly progressed throughout the summer of 2009. Engineers have developed a full design report that analyzes the project. Generally, both roadways require widening to nearly 100’, adding two lanes in each direction, center medians and/or turn lanes, bicycle lanes, landscaping, lighting and ADA accessible sidewalks and bus stops. Storm water will be collected and treated to protect water quality.
The preliminary design is “context” sensitive to the development characteristics along each segment of these roadways as illustrated on the below diagram.
Click Here for an enlargement
A graphic example of the S. 216th Street western approach to Pacific Highway S, (Below) extends the retail and pedestrian oriented streetscape components of Pacific Highway towards the transportation gateway and downtown Des Monies. A U-turn pocket is provided to maintain access to local businesses.
Click Here for an enlargement
24th Avenue South lighting and landscape design elements are a bit differentiated from S. 216th Street and are more consistent with future development of aviation support logistics, light manufacturing and office facilities as well as consistent with plans to extend 24th/28th Avenue S. into the City of SeaTac. The proposal includes bike lanes, planted medians as well as planters next to the sidewalk and overhead street lighting.
Click Here for an enlargement
The design report is a technical working document that guides the City developing final construction documents. The report contains alignment information that illustrates the preliminary extent of the proposed improvements, signalization lane configurations, landscaping as well as technical information on traffic, drainage, and lighting.
Schedule
The project is advancing as depicted in the General Schedule below. Following additional public input on the design report, the Des Moines City Council in November, 2009, approved a final engineering agreement to prepare construction ready plans and specifications. This process will involve refining the project into stage(s) as described above that could be reasonably constructed by the City if funding becomes available.
Click Here for an enlargement (PDF)
Pending completion of successful right of way negotiations with the Port of Seattle (significantly impacted by the offset alignment) , the consulting team will likely initiate negotiations with remaining individual property owners along 24th Avenue S and westerly along S. 216th Street through 24th Avenue S. Other right of way negotiations on the remaining easterly portions of S. 216th Street are not anticipated in 2010.
The final plans will detail environmental, construction and right of way requirements on 24th Avenue S and S. 216th Street from approximately 19th Avenue S to Pacific Highway including lane transitions to 29th Avenue S. This stage will likely not involve significant improvements outside the S. 216th Street right of way in the City of SeaTac. More detail on the project can be found in previous project updates (see links at the bottom of page).
Funding
The engineering work is funded, in part, with a loan from the Washington State Public Works Trust Board as well as development fees and arterial road funds as approved in the City’s Capital Improvement Program. As design progresses, the City is actively seeking additional funding for right of way and construction. Development will contribute a fair share to the improvements on South 216th Street and 24th Avenue South, through frontage improvements, utility undergrounding and off-site mitigation. Construction phasing is subject to available funding.
Questions?
Persons with questions or comments are urged to contact the Len Madsen, Project Manager at gatewayinfo@desmoineswa.gov.
Gateway Web Archives:
Update: September 24, 2009
Update: July 28, 2009
Update: May 12, 2009
Update: April 7, 2009
Update: April 1, 2009
Update: February 6, 2009
Update: January 19, 2009
