BLAINE, Wash. — The intersection of Bell Road (SR548) and Peace Portal Drive in south Blaine sees high volumes of traffic and the occasional BNSF and Amtrak train does not help moving this traffic through the intersection. As a result, this location has been receiving funding in recent years from government sources towards building an overpass and reconfiguring involved roads. A request for quotes from design consultants was published on Monday, April 8th.
According to the City of Blaine website, the yet to be designed project is expected to include the following elements.
- build an overpass over the railroad tracks
- reconfiguring roads that pass through the intersection
- realign ramps to/from I-5
- replace the nearby Bell Road (SR548) bridge over Dakota Creek
- build a dedicated multiuse path parallel to Bell Road
The Project will eliminate the substantial delays to vehicle traffic and provide safe and reliable access between unincorporated Whatcom County, I-5, and educational and emergency services in Blaine. This project will also enhance safety and eliminate potential conflicts with highway vehicles and Amtrak and BNSF trains on this federally designated high speed rail corridor between Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Four Amtrak trains use this crossing each day. Finally, this project will provide safe access to the area for the numerous active transportation users in a way that is practically impossible today. City of Blaine (April 2024)
The current estimate for completing the project is mid-2028.
The City of Ferndale recently completed a similar project with an overpass taking Thornton Street traffic over railroad tracks near I-5.
With the addition of the Thornton Street overpass, there currently are 2 locations north of Bellingham where traffic can go over or under the railroad tracks, thus not be impacted by train traffic. The Main Street underpass in Ferndale is the other location.
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