Work to collect soil samples along the proposed alignment for a King County replacement sewer line near Coal Creek Parkway will require temporary travel lane closures until mid-February.

The work in the southbound curb lane of Coal Creek Parkway, which began Thursday, Jan. 4, is expected to take about five weeks to complete and will require travel lane, bicycle lane and sidewalk closures near five drilling locations from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Test drilling will be done on two-to-four days per week. Some work could occur on weekends to minimize weekday traffic impacts.

The public should expect equipment in the roadway and noise from the drill rigs, which may be parked on the shoulder overnight when not in use. Drivers are asked to drive slowly in the area, obey posted signage and watch for pedestrians, bicyclists and workers.

While construction on the Coal Creek trunk sewer upgrade isn’t expected to begin until 2021, crews are drilling test holes in January to help determine soil conditions along the new line’s recommended alignment. The preferred route runs west of Coal Creek Parkway Southeast, between Interstate 405 and the parking lot at the Upper Coal Creek West Trail trailhead.

King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks notes the aging and undersized regional sewer line is a critical part of its clean-water infrastructure in Bellevue and Newcastle.

For more details, contact Monica Van der Vieren at 206-477-5502 or monica.vandervieren@kingcounty.gov.