City council approves changes to street, other projects in its Transportation Improvement Plan

City leaders have set their eyes on building a new, $1.65 million, westbound right-turn pocket at the 15th Street Northwest and State Route 167 northbound ramps.

And laying down $1 million to rebuild 2nd Street Southeast between A Street Southeast and Auburn Way South.

The Auburn City Council approved these and other projects detailed in the city’s annual Transportation Improvement Plan during its regular meeting Monday evening at City Hall.

A public hearing at which no one spoke preceded the unanimous vote.

While the city council adopted modifications to its annual TIP update in June, city officials say, changes in available project funding and the addition of projects tied to grants and developer projects since then demanded more modifications.

The remaining changes and their costs are summarized below:

• Phase 2, Auburn Way North preservation, $1.6 million. The city swapped a portion of grant funds awarded to this project with local funds in its A Street Southeast preservation project to meet regional funding obligation targetsthe Federal Highway Administration set for 2019;

• 49th Street Northeast, $5.3 million. This project completes the 49th Street Northeast corridor between Auburn Way North and I Street Northeast. Changes reflect portions of the project that will be completed as part of a development project, and the remaining portion by the city tapping traffic mitigation funds; and

• Regional growth center access improvements, $2 million. The city will revise this project to reflect the recent awarding of $1.6 million in grant funds from the Sound Transit Access Fund competition.