West Lake Sammamish Parkway is set to reopen by mid-April, but a city utility project will cause traffic to be rerouted from the current detour beginning March 19.

The city will replace aging water pipes along 164th Avenue between Northeast Eighth and Southeast 14th streets from March 19 through June or July. While utility crews cut and dig into pavement, detour traffic will be rerouted from 164th and 168th avenues to 148th or 156th avenues.

Local access will continue for residents along 164th. Electronic message boards will advise drivers of the new utility project on 164th. These boards will be in place the week prior to the detour until the start of construction. Standard construction detour signs will remain in place for the duration of the construction work.

While the detour change may cause some inconvenience until West Lake Sammamish Parkway reopens, officials say it’s important that the city’s utility work begin this month to stay on schedule in conjunction with Puget Sound Energy’s recent installation of new gas lines. Both projects need to be completed ahead of a city overlay project, which has been scheduled since 2008. The gas line work was completed in 2011. Residents will be informed about pavement resurfacing construction start and end dates later this summer.

West Lake Sammamish Parkway has been closed since Jan. 22 due to a mudslide that undercut the roadway. When the steep slope gave way on the east side of the Parkway, dirt and debris under the roadway slid down the hill, leaving an unsupported section of concrete panels.

With the redesign complete and the necessary property easements in place, construction began last week.