BELLINGHAM - Transportation officials are moving forward with a series of changes they expect will cut down on collisions and fix congestion problems on Meridian Street near Bellis Fair mall.
The state Department of Transportation announced it's tentatively adopting the changes in a report released Friday, Oct. 7. They were picked from a proposal released three months earlier.
The adopted changes include:
• Extending the third northbound lane between East Bellis Fair Parkway and Bakerview Road. The lane would end at a forced right turn onto Bakerview. Estimated cost: $440,000 to $940,000.
• Removing the center lane between Telegraph Road and East Bellis Fair. Left-turn pockets would take the place of the center turn lane. Estimated cost: $240,000 to $510,000.
• Widening the northbound off-ramp that turns onto Meridian so trucks can make the turn more smoothly. Estimated cost: $120,000 to $260,000.
• Preventing left turns from northbound Meridian onto Telegraph Road into the mall area. Traffic signals would be changed and a curb barrier may be added. This could reduce southbound delays by 30 percent, according to the DOT. Estimated cost: $40,000 to $90,000.
The last change, however, will force drivers to go about a fifth of a mile north to make a left turn. A similar left turn restriction between Interstate 5 and Telegraph, also proposed in July, was rejected because it would cause an excessive detour for drivers, said Kerri Woehler, planning manager for the DOT.
"There aren't many other good alternatives to take that turn," she said.
Construction is slated to begin in spring 2013.
Meridian is one of the most heavily used roads in Bellingham, and that makes it one of the most collision-prone: About 700 collisions have been reported between I-5 and Horton Road in the past five years, according to the DOT.
Some other changes are also in the works, including a review of the speed limit between Kellogg and Horton roads.
The $2.75 million available for changes is only enough to do a sliver of what DOT officials believe is necessary. The long-term plan includes a major revamp of the I-5 off-ramp and surrounding areas.
"We could easily be talking more than $50 million," Woehler said.
Cost estimates will become more precise as engineers develop specific plans for construction.
In the meantime, the DOT will continue to take comments from the public and businesses in the area.
For more information and to read the pre-design report, visit the project's website: wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR539/I5toHorton.
On the site, DOT officials posted more than 20 pages of comments they've already received about the project.
