A planned two-lane roundabout at Tokul Road and Highway 202 could be jump-started by economic stimulus money from the federal government.

The $5.8 million Tokul Road roundabout is meant to solve traffic woes where State Highway 202 intersects with Mill Pond Road near Tokul Road.

Snoqualmie public works officials have submitted the project to the Puget Sound Regional Council, a transportation planning body for King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties.

Projects that are shovel-ready will get priority consideration for stimulus money being funneled through the Washington State Department of Transportation.

“We’ve got a real good chance of having this fly,” said Mike Roy, Snoqualmie Public Works Operations Manager.

The roundabout was one of nine projects in the region that were submitted as completely ready to start, Snoqualmie Interim Public Works Director Alan Lodbell told the Valley Record. Those projects could become part of the priority list forwarded to the state when the regional council makes its final decision.

The intersection of Highway 202 and Mill Pond Road is now a risky place due to poor sight lines and congestion impacting traffic entering the highway, Lobdell said.

“Near misses are commonplace,” he said.

It’s hard for trucks leaving Mill Pond Road to see approaching traffic coming over the Snoqualmie River bridge. Lobdell said traffic frequently sits and idles, waiting to get onto Highway 202.

The roundabout is meant to solve that problem, and could act as a gateway to a part of Snoqualmie that may see future development, for example, as the Muckleshoot Tribe-owned Salish Lodge and Spa expands.

The Puget Sound Regional Council has yet to rank the nine projects.

“There’s probably 100 times more money in [requests for] projects than there is money to do it,” Lobdell said.

“All we can do is be prepared,” he added. “If they say we get it, we can move immediately.”

Without stimulus funds, Snoqualmie doesn’t have the funds to build the roundabout this year.

Contact Snoqualmie Valley Record Editor Seth Truscott at editor@valleyrecord.com or 1-425-888-2311.

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