Study purpose and existing conditions on SR 516
SR 516, also known as Southeast 272nd Street, is a five-lane principal arterial with sidewalks on both sides and a posted speed of 35 miles per hour (MPH). SR 516 is the primary east-west roadway through Covington providing connections to the nearby cities of Kent and Maple Valley. The intersections analyzed in the study are Covington Way SE, 164th Avenue SE, the SR 18 interchange (westbound and eastbound ramps), and 168th Place SE.
The SR 18/SR 516 interchange provides regional access to and from Covington. Adjacent commercial, retail, and residential destinations in the vicinity of the SR 18 interchange draw significant travel demand, and a series of closely spaced intersections impact corridor operations and multimodal safety, and limit access to adjoining properties.
The City of Covington received funding to make improvements at the intersection of SR 516 and Covington Way Southwest, currently a signalized intersection. As part of the project development process, an Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE) study was required to determine the preferred intersection control type. This larger SR 516 corridor study provides an opportunity to evaluate the corridor more holistically, by expanding the study limits to include the four adjacent intersections and exploring additional opportunities to improve safety and operations along the corridor.