WHAT'S HAPPENING
Thank you to everyone for participating and providing feedback on this important project study.  The study is now complete and the final report can be viewed at the bottom of this page.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Lea Hill Corridor, between Harvey Road/M Street NE and 124th Avenue SE, is a critical east-west arterial providing connections to downtown Auburn, the Lea Hill neighborhood, Green River College, and State Route 18. To prepare for anticipated growth, the City of Auburn has initiated a Lea Hill Corridor Study that will help identify potential safety, capacity, and operational improvements along this crucial stretch of the roadway network. The overarching objective of the Corridor Study will be to develop a corridor design that can guide future design and construction efforts that best accomplishes the City’s transportation and mobility goals and is supported by the community.

HISTORY & BACKGROUND

Lea Hill Road SE currently carries approximately 20,000 vehicles per day. As Auburn, and specifically the Lea Hill neighborhood, continues to grow and develop, the corridor will carry even more traffic which will cause increased congestion and potential safety issues. Due to a limited network of secondary and side streets to distribute and disperse vehicular traffic, it is especially important to keep traffic moving along this crucial roadway corridor.

Another key aspect of this project is providing better access for pedestrians and cyclists in our community. Currently, there are no bike facilities along the corridor and the existing sidewalks are sporadic and disconnected. In addition to taking a look at ways to improve vehicular traffic, this study will also explore ways to safely accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

Auburn’s Comprehensive Plan has identified the need for widening the Lea Hill corridor to accommodate projected growth. However, there are physical constraints, such as a bridge, steep slopes, and wetland areas, that will make widening difficult and costly. The challenge of this study will be developing a design that adequately balances the need to keep people moving safely and efficiently with the need to manage cost and environmental impacts.

SCHEDULE & FUNDING

The Lea Hill Corridor Study began in the fall of 2018 and was complete in June 2020.  Future design and construction of the phases identified in the final report will be dependent on the availability of grant funding.

PROJECT MATERIALS