QUESTION: why is the City focusing on fixing the SR 410/166th interchange next? Have you seen SR 162 lately?

We have, and that’s why we’re focused on 166th next. There are two main reasons. First, both interchanges are horribly congested, but the 166th interchange has major safety issues with no signals at the westbound ramps. Traffic collision data shows that while the number of accidents are similar, 166th experiences way more dangerous turning accidents than the rear-enders on SR 162.

Second, it’s going to be much quicker and cheaper to fix the 166th interchange. We could complete the fixes for $9.5 million. While that’s not exactly cheap, it’s a lot cheaper than the estimated $30 million needed for SR 162/410 interchange. And it’s not just the interchange that’s the issue on SR 162. The entire highway to Orting needs relief, making it a major project. Getting 166th done gives us an alternate route that will be important whenever SR 162 does go under extensive construction.

And the added bonus? The 166th project also includes replacing the current Salmon Creek culvert with a fish-passage culvert designed to meet today’s standards in this environmentally significant creek. With all the work on orcas in Puget Sound and salmon runs this is a significant additional piece of this important transportation project.
So far, the Sumner City Council included $150,000 in our budget to plan the 166th Avenue interchange improvements. We’re asking the State of Washington to provide seed money in their transportation budget, and from there, we’ll continue to seek grants and other funding sources.