Hospital’s future: What about SR-18 interchange?

I haven’t paid much attention to all the talk about the new Snoqualmie Hospital; and I don’t live in Snoqualmie or the Ridge. But lately I’ve had to drive past the I-90-Highway 18 interchange quite often, and most of the time when I pass it, there’s a long line of cars waiting to exit—in both directions. Once, I even had to be in the afternoon line of cars for 10 minutes, just to turn right onto the Parkway.

October 23, 2014 3:59 pm

I haven’t paid much attention to all the talk about the new Snoqualmie Hospital; and I don’t live in Snoqualmie or the Ridge. But lately I’ve had to drive past the I-90-Highway 18 interchange quite often, and most of the time when I pass it, there’s a long line of cars waiting to exit—in both directions. Once, I even had to be in the afternoon line of cars for 10 minutes, just to turn right onto the Parkway.

This makes me wonder: Did anyone think about the traffic situation at the interchange before making plans to locate the new hospital at that exit? A person could die a stone’s throw away from the hospital because of having to wait in the traffic back-up. I sure hope somebody has plans to fix the traffic pattern at the freeway interchange, or else it’s a foolish move for the hospital to leave its more accessible location on Ethan Wade Way.

Valerie King

North Bend