Riverwalk Drive SE from Auburn Way South to Howard Road to be closed from January 17, 2023 to May 16, 2023
A road-closure update from the City of Auburn’s Public Works Department.
Full roadway closure of Riverwalk Drive SE from Auburn Way South to Howard Road is needed for the construction of the Riverwalk Drive SE Non-Motorized Improvements Project.
The project will construct sidewalk on the east side of Riverwalk Drive between Howard Road and Auburn Way South. Additional improvements include constructing storm drain improvements, replacing the roadway pavement surface, installing additional street lighting, and installing bulb outs with rectangular rapid flashing beacons.
The full closure is needed, in part, due to a Puget Sound Energy (PSE) gas pipeline in Riverwalk Drive that conflicts with the City’s improvements and must be relocated. Additionally, PSE’s work requires removal of concrete roadway sections beneath the existing asphalt roadway which will require the roadway to continue to be closed as the City reconstructs and re-paves the roadway.
PSE will be on site between January 17th, 2023 through approximately February 10th, 2023. From February through May, the City’s Contractor will be reconstructing utilities and pavement and completing other work that requires the road to be closed.
The full closure for PSE’s and the City’s work is unavoidable due to Riverwalk Drive’s narrow width, curves, and steep hills that provide limited space for construction. Access to the Muckleshoot Child Care Center will be maintained via Auburn Way South. Detour routes will be signed as shown on the map below.
While the roadway is scheduled to re-open in May, project construction activities are expected to continue through the summer.
Schedule: Construction is scheduled to begin on January 17, 2023, and is anticipated to be completed in July 2023.
Contact Information: Puget Sound Energy Representative, Katie Dierick, 253–268–6331 Public Works Department, 253–931–3010