This new Bellingham street should ease traffic congestion near Interstate-5
Work is scheduled to start this week on a new road under Interstate 5, a project that should ease traffic congestion and create an alternate route to St. Joseph hospital for many Whatcom County residents.
Plans call for Orchard Drive to extend west from the intersection of James Street Road and East Orchard Drive, then go under I-5 and connect with Birchwood Avenue and Squalicum Parkway, forming a Y-shaped intersection at the place where Birchwood and Squalicum meet at a 90-degree curve.
It will be the first new crossing since the freeway was built in the 1960s, according to a statement at the city of Bellingham website.
Construction begins Monday, March 1, and is expected to take about a year.
“There should be minimal impacts to traffic through this project and no detours are anticipated,” the city said at its website.
Cost is about $6.6 million, paid with a grant from the state Department of Transportation, said Amy Cloud, Public Works Department spokeswoman.
Orchard Drive will have street lights, sidewalks and bike lanes, the city said.
Stoplights will be installed at the Orchard Drive-James Street intersection and the new Squalicum-Orchard-Birchwood intersection will become a three-way stop.
“The new arterial will improve vehicular safety, improve emergency access to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, and will help reduce existing traffic congestion at the Sunset and Meridian crossings of I-5,” the city said.
This story was originally published March 1, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
