City news in Mercer Island.

Island Crest Way paving ends early and under budget

According to the city’s street engineer, construction costs (which are still being finalized) for the Island Crest Way repaving project are significantly lower than the $913,830 construction bid and the project is wrapping up two weeks earlier than originally expected.

Construction activities on this half-mile long project between Southeast 40th Street and Merrimount Drive began in mid-July with repairs to the road’s storm drainage pipes and replacement of damaged portions of curbs and sidewalks. Repaving occurred at the end of August, which included removing the worn out asphalt pavement surface (laid in 1991) and placing a 3-inch thick, hot-mix asphalt overlay that will last for 25 years of heavy service.

In addition to the Island Crest Way work, Southeast 42nd Street to the east of Island Crest was repaved and a new pedestrian walkway added along one side. Crews are currently finishing up remaining minor items and Island Crest Way has been successfully reopened to four lanes of traffic for a week now.

Pioneer Park dog meetings scheduled

Does your dog love Pioneer Park? Come walk with Mercer Island Parks and Recreation staff and join a brief meeting to discuss how to make Pioneer Park a welcoming place for everyone.

Rendezvous at the kiosk on Island Crest Way at Southeast 68th Street, hear a 10-minute update and then go for a walk around the park, chatting with staff as you go. Sociable dogs are welcome to attend. One meeting is at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. The next meeting is at 9 a.m. on Saturday. No RSVP required, just show up.

Rehabilitation work ongoing on aging sewer lines

This month, the city’s Sewer Utility will be overseeing the rehabilitation of almost 4,500 feet of aging underground sewer piping using a newer technique involving “cured-in-place piping” (CIPP).

Under this innovative method, trained crews insert high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic pipe into existing pipelines by way of slip-lining, avoiding the need for any disruptive trenching. Once in place, the flexible lining is cured with heat and steam before water is allowed to flow through.

The new lining lasts up to 100 years, and is 25-30 percent cheaper to install. Impacts to surrounding neighborhoods typically last only a few hours during the middle of the day.

Watch for paving around Hadley Building

This week, some city roadways around the new Hadley Building in the Town Center will be restored and repaved to their original condition. Project managers expect approximately three days of work, affecting portions of Southeast 27th Street and 76th Avenue Southeast adjacent to the construction site.

The mixed-use Hadley Building is expected to open in several weeks, and will have 209 residential units, two-and-a-half floors of underground parking (with 58 stalls available for public use) and ground-floor retail tenants.

Mercerdale trails resurfaced

Last week, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department repaired large sections of the trails at Mercerdale Park. Aging asphalt that has been cracking or buckling was replaced in many locations.

Contact Parks Superintendent Paul West with questions at 206-275-7833.