A drilling crew in Kenmore will be onsite coring pavement and taking soil samples along Juanita Drive Northeast between Northeast 143rd Street and Northeast 170th Street for two weeks starting today.

This temporary work is associated with the voter-approved Walkways and Waterways Improvements and is necessary field exploration to complete the design of the Juanita Drive Northeast Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements project, according to a City of Kenmore press release. Temporary lane closures will be necessary between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Traffic delays should be expected.

The planned pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements along Juanita Drive Northeast include new sidewalks and bike lanes from the Kirkland city limit north to 170th Street/Simonds Road. The improvements also include adding or extending selected left turn lanes (to be determined through the pre-design effort), the release states.

The City of Kenmore is under contract with an engineering firm to design the Juanita Drive improvements. The project is in the early design phase. These Juanita Drive improvements will likely be built between 2019 and 2023.

Other voter-approved Walkways and Waterways projects being planned are new sidewalks and bike lanes along 68th Avenue Northeast from downtown north to the Snohomish County line and waterfront access improvements and natural open space restoration at Log Boom, Rhododendron and Squire’s Landing parks.

Pedestrian and cyclist safety is a city priority, the release states. The city is committed to its Target Zero goal of achieving zero pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and serious injuries by 2025 through project improvements such as safer walkways and bicycle routes, education and enforcement.

For more information on the Walkways and Waterways projects, visit tinyurl.com/m8hy3zq.

For more information on Target Zero, visit www.kenmorewa.gov/TargetZero.