Redmond Public Works begins Overlake utility relocation

Published 9:47 am Friday, August 9, 2013

On Monday, the City of Redmond’s Public Works Department began Phase 1 of its Utility Relocation project in the Overlake neighborhood.

The work is preparation for the South Detention Vault in Overlake Village, which will regulate the area’s stormwater once it is built. This will help with the neighborhood’s redevelopment as it becomes one of two designated urban centers in the City of Redmond. Project manager Joseph O’Leary said the vault will also help the local environment and flood control.

The work being done is on Northeast 20th Street as crews are relocating existing power and stormwater utilities within the vault footprint, which will be in the Sears parking lot at the intersection of 148th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 20th Street.

O’Leary said most of the work is being done at night, with full night time closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Two lanes — one in each direction — will be closed during the day. At night, crews from Shoreline Construction Company (under contract with the City of Redmond), will be installing about 1,100 feet of new storm trunk line.

“The day work will not be the pipe work,” O’Leary said.

He added that they will be installing the pipe “segment by segment,” about 100 feet at a time and the street closure is scheduled to last through September. Construction on the vault facility is scheduled to begin in March 2014 and last through November of next year.

Sidewalks on the south side of the street will also be closed and bus stops will be temporarily relocated during Phase 1 construction as well as the southeast corner of the Sears parking lot.

O’Leary said businesses on both sides of the street will be impacted but they will make sure they are still accessible. Pedestrian access to the businesses will remain open throughout construction.

He has also visited the local businesses to let them know what is happening.

“I feel pretty comfortable that we’ll be able to do the construction without too much construction,” O’Leary said.

The city also held public meetings last year to let residents and businesses in Overlake know about the work to come.

Jeri Rowe-Curtis, chief communications officer for the City of Redmond, acknowledged that the project will be inconvenient with the road closure and noise from equipment, but they hope people will look at things with a long-term view.

“We want people to think about the end goal,” she said.

She added that people “don’t see what’s below,” so they don’t always realize the work that needs to be done before development can begin.