Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road
Road Currently Closed
Flood events in November 2008 and January 2009 and the resulting damage have forced the closure of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road. King County has completed repairs up to Milepost 8.0. The Federal Highway Administration and U.S. Forest Service are currently developing repairs to sites and anticipate the road will be repaired by the end of 2009.
Additional information can be found at http://www.wfl.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/erfo_mfsnoqualmie/.
Flood events in November 2008 and January 2009 and the resulting damage have forced the closure of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road. King County has completed repairs up to Milepost 8.0. The Federal Highway Administration and U.S. Forest Service are currently developing repairs to sites and anticipate the road will be repaired by the end of 2009.
Additional information can be found at http://www.wfl.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/erfo_mfsnoqualmie/.
Update November 2009 - Current Status
Planning for the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River (FS56) WA Forest Highway Project has been on hold pending completion of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), King County Department of Transportation and the Forest Service. Before additional monies are spent on further planning and project development, the MOA is needed to ensure that these agencies are willing partners and concur with the overall scope, duration, and disposition of the project. The MOA is approaching completion and the parties anticipate signing before the end of calendar year 2009. If signing occurs, planning and project development for the FS56 highway project will resume.
The original FS56 highway project proposal dates back to the early 1990’s and did not include the “couplet area”. At the request of King County, the couplet was added through a supplemental application in 2000. Initial scoping and preliminary design estimates completed for the couplet area have determined that the supplemental application significantly underestimated both the cost and extent of work required for this segment. The significantly higher costs led the WA Tri-Agency (FHWA, Forest Service, and WSDOT) to conclude the couplet work doesn’t meet the programmed project financial constraints for the overall FS56 road project. As such, should the overall project be re-activated, the couplet work would be dropped from further consideration within the current project. An opportunity exists for the couplet area to be submitted as a separate future forest highway improvement project in future years.
Planning for the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River (FS56) WA Forest Highway Project has been on hold pending completion of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), King County Department of Transportation and the Forest Service. Before additional monies are spent on further planning and project development, the MOA is needed to ensure that these agencies are willing partners and concur with the overall scope, duration, and disposition of the project. The MOA is approaching completion and the parties anticipate signing before the end of calendar year 2009. If signing occurs, planning and project development for the FS56 highway project will resume.
The original FS56 highway project proposal dates back to the early 1990’s and did not include the “couplet area”. At the request of King County, the couplet was added through a supplemental application in 2000. Initial scoping and preliminary design estimates completed for the couplet area have determined that the supplemental application significantly underestimated both the cost and extent of work required for this segment. The significantly higher costs led the WA Tri-Agency (FHWA, Forest Service, and WSDOT) to conclude the couplet work doesn’t meet the programmed project financial constraints for the overall FS56 road project. As such, should the overall project be re-activated, the couplet work would be dropped from further consideration within the current project. An opportunity exists for the couplet area to be submitted as a separate future forest highway improvement project in future years.
During the last few years, the principal funding program for the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road project has had to readjust and reprioritize the list of programmed projects. These adjustments were mainly due to construction costs as there has been a significant cost increase for projects similar to the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road, with most projects over the last few years far exceeding their original cost estimates. These cost increases have caused all the cost estimates for potential action alternatives of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road to rise to such an extent that the project as originally proposed is no longer financially feasible.
Currently, King County and the Forest Service are reexamining the project proposal to ensure that a project can be brought forth that meets the needs of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road while also being financially feasible. Once a revised project proposal is approved, development of the project will resume.
Currently, King County and the Forest Service are reexamining the project proposal to ensure that a project can be brought forth that meets the needs of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road while also being financially feasible. Once a revised project proposal is approved, development of the project will resume.
Location
The Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road is located north and east of the City of North Bend, which is approximately 30 miles east of Seattle Washington along I-90. Contacts
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATIONWESTERN FEDERAL LANDS HIGHWAY DIVISION
610 East Fifth Street
Vancouver, Washington 98661-3801
Danny Capri, Environmental Specialist
Project Email Address: mfsnoqualmie@dot.gov
