Casino roundabout could mean delays

Drivers using North Bend Way could begin seeing traffic impacts this week, with construction beginning on the new roundabout at the Snoqualmie Casino entrance.

Drivers using North Bend Way could begin seeing traffic impacts this week, with construction beginning on the new roundabout at the Snoqualmie Casino entrance.

Alex Perlman, project manager for the King County Department of Development and Environmental Services, told the Valley Record last week that permitting for the work is in its final stages.

The planned two-lane roundabout would be on North Bend Way and connect to the new casino. A bypass lane would route eastbound traffic around the roundabout.

Once work begins, potential impacts to drivers include single-lane closures in each direction of the four-lane highway and occasional traffic delays of up to 10 minutes, according to a notice sent out to residents by the city of Snoqualmie.

Roundabout work is expected to last until mid-October, with crews working seven days a week.

The roundabout project is a collaboration between the casino authority, the Snoqualmie Tribe, and the county.

Installation of a roundabout is meant to create safe access to the casino and will reduce speeds in the vicinity of the casino entrance.

Neighbors in the vicinity of the new roundabout appealed its construction in March. However, in April, the county issued its determination that the roundabout project did not pose any significant impacts to the environment.