R Avenue Long Term Improvements - Phases 3, 5

Overview

The R Avenue Long Term Improvements Project, Phases 3 and 5, will add improvements to the R Avenue corridor to enhance safety and multi-modal access.

The improvements will include:

Constructing a roundabout at the high-volume R Avenue and 30th Street intersection
New curb, gutter and sidewalks to 30th Street between R and Q avenues
New curb, gutter and sidewalks to Q Avenue between 29th and 32th streets
New curb, gutter and sidewalks to 29th Street between Q and Commercial avenues with a pedestrian crossing
10-foot wide multi-use sidewalks between 22nd and 34th streets
Full median on R Avenue from 22nd Street to 34th Street
Enhanced stormwater management features
Street and pedestrian-scale lighting
ADA accessible street crossings

History

The City worked with Transportation Solutions Incorporated on a city-wide traffic model to verify the Level of Service at selected intersections. The city is required to maintain a Level of Service C for all intersections.

The TSI report identified four failing intersections in Anacortes that are considered a Level of Service D. Three intersections are along the R Avenue corridor and the fourth is 32^nd Street and Commercial Avenue.

The R Avenue Long Term Improvement Project has six phases of pedestrian and multi-modal projects to address the failing intersections along the R Avenue corridor in addition to other improvements.

These projects and improvements include a non-tranversable median, transit pull-outs, additional or improved sidewalks/walkways, bicycle wayfinding, new signals or roundabouts, traffic calming measures, additional street lighting, bicycle lanes, and physical buffers between pedestrians and walkways.

To date, four out of the six phases have been completed, utilizing various funding sources to construct each phase. The enhancements have included the 22nd Street roundabout; flashing pedestrian beacons near 23rd, 29th and 33rd streets; paving 34th Street; and the Highway 20 Spur re-channelization.

In 2019, this project was awarded $525,488 through the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program via the Skagit Council of Governments to design and provide construction-ready documents for the remaining Phase 3 and Phase 5 projects.

In 2020, Lochner was awarded the contract to design the two phases.