A long-awaited right-hand turn lane project at the intersection of 200th Street Southwest and Highway 99 in Lynnwood has been delayed due to an unforeseen conflict with an underground water main, city staff say. The project – a condition for the expansion of the Harris Ford dealership set by the city council in 2022 – was initially anticipated to be completed by the end of 2024. As of June 2025, construction has yet to begin.
Although that portion of road was valued at $1.4 million in 2022, the Lynnwood City Council agreed to sell it to the dealership for half price, or around $576,000, retaining an additional $61,000 from the land appraisal cost in exchange for construction of the turn lane.
While the dealership expansion itself proceeded as planned, the dedicated turn lane did not. According to Charlie Palmer, the city’s development engineering services manager, the exact depth of this utility was not known before the city council approved the street sale. The conflict was discovered when the contractor “potholed” the water main, determining that it was too high for the planned depth of the new turn lane, Palmer said in an email.
The city is working with the dealership to address the issue, but a new estimated completion date for the project is not available at this time, Palmer said. However, the turn lane is still planned to be located as originally intended.
The water main needs to be lowered to build the lane, Palmer said. Moving the utility is feasible, although it requires careful planning. There is also an opportunity for the city to partner with Harris Ford for some additional water main replacement during this process.
The origins of the project trace back to October 2021, when Luk Blackwell, on behalf of Harris Ford, Inc., applied for a project design review permit for a new 4,300-square-foot Lincoln automobile showroom, according to city documents. As part of these plans, Harris Ford filed a petition with the City of Lynnwood in November 2021, requesting the vacation of the 64th Avenue West right of way, which previously provided access to Highway 99 from 200th Street Southwest.
— Contact Ashley at ashley@myedmondsnews.com.
Actually, it isn’t a year later. It’s almost been three years. The vacated section of 64th was closed in August, 2022. Since that time, we’ve endured nearly three years of inconvenience. There are consistent traffic backups on weekday afternoons.
Until the street was vacated for Harris Ford’s benefit, there was a flashing red light at the four way stop. I’ve witnessed numerous drivers blowing through that intersection risking collisions since the light was deactivated.
What is particularly bothersome is the apparent lack of project management expertise on the part of the City of Lynnwood. First there was an issue centered on a utility pole that couldn’t be removed, which held up construction for at least a year. Now we have this water main issue. I was curious why I saw construction activity back in April, but then everything stopped. I’ve seen the same untouched pile of rubble for weeks, with no additional progress made. Why exactly was this project so badly planned and managed? Shouldn’t the city have anticipated the issues with water mains and utility poles and planned for these issues in advance? Why was the street vacated before these issues were resolved?
I’d like to see the city mitigate this issue while they figure out a next step. The traffic light needs to be reconfigured so eastbound traffic doesn’t back up behind a vehicle making a left onto northbound 99.
Based on what I’ve experienced here, I’m unimpressed with the quality of Lynnwood’s city government. I expect better than an amateur hour performance for my tax dollars.
PPP is what I say. How is it that the right turn lane is the only portion of the original project to have been affected by this water main issue? This was major construction yet there were no issues with water mains anywhere else. And what is meant by “planned depth” of the turn lane? The city is working with the dealership to resolve the issue? Why is the dealership still involved? They got what they wanted at the inconvenience of the public. It’s also interesting that there “may be opportunity for the city to partner with Harris Ford for additional water main replacement” during this project. Who pays for this additional work? And is this what is causing the delay?
What a steal on the purchase of this property Harris got. I wonder if the $61K held back for the completion of the right turn lane is realistic at this point, let alone at the time of the sale. It’s no wonder city budgets suffer.
A year later and this article has nothing to tell us except that there is no end in site for the completion of this project. I feel better.
1 – Why did the City Council agree to vacate this street in first place? Was there no other available property along Highway 99 for the car dealership to relocate to (if their current property was no longer adequate for their needs)?
2 – Why did the Lynnwood City Council then sell the taxpayer’s property at a 50% discount, essentially gifting this private business $700,000?
3 – Why did the City Council agree to vacate the street before a new dedicated right hand turn lane could be completed (whatever the reasons it had to be delayed)?
4 – Why did the City Council allow the existing right hand eastbound lane to be closed without at least attempting to mitigate the significant disruption by reconfiguring the traffic lights at 200th and 99?
5 – Why did the City Council allow another lane closure on southbound 99 at the same intersection?
6 – What am I going to do when I can no longer cut through Crossroads shopping center at high speeds to get to southbound 99 after H&T Mart opens? 🙂