5 lanes for Woodinville-Duvall Road?

Twenty years ago, if a horse slipped out of its enclosure and wandered onto Northeast Woodinville-Duvall Road, ranchers in the quiet, rural area didn't have much to worry about.

"Back then, at least 50 percent of people driving by would know how to stop the car, get the horse off the road and put it safely back in its field," said Peter Pentz, who owns a horse farm in the unincorporated area east of Woodinville. "Nowadays, a horse would be lucky to survive 10 minutes."

Like many roads that once were mainly access routes for farmers and local families in rural areas, the two-lane, shoulderless road has become overwhelmed in recent years as development moved in. Equestrians can no longer ride safely across Woodinville-Duvall Road, fender-benders are frequent and a growing number of commuters stream through town on their way to someplace else.

As local residents and business owners struggle to strike a balance between maintaining their peaceful lifestyles and planning for the future, King County is considering improvements that could turn the 1-1/2-mile stretch of road into a three- to five-lane thoroughfare.

Various options for the road will be presented at an open house Tuesday. Five possibilities are being considered, from doing nothing to adding a second lane in each direction plus a turn lane and an 8-foot shoulder.

The goal is to improve traffic flow, safety and pedestrian access along the corridor, which carries about 22,000 vehicles each day, said Barbara de Michele, community-relations specialist with the King County Department of Transportation.

Though residents and business people do not get to decide what ultimately happens to the road, the county wants their comments, de Michele said.

About 6,400 glossy brochures were sent to area residents informing them about the project and Tuesday's open house. A community advisory group also was formed to represent citizens and contribute ideas.

"The general feeling is that what we have here now is not sufficient," said Pentz, the horse-farm owner and an advisory-group member. "So doing nothing, while it might appeal to some people emotionally, probably won't work."

He and others he knows have been rear-ended on Woodinville-Duvall Road, which clogs up during morning and evening commute hours. Pentz said intersection improvements, a left-turn lane and accommodations for equestrians are essential for many area residents.

Keeping the rural feel of the place is also a concern. And for property owners whose land could be in the right of way of a widened road, their lifestyle or livelihood could be at stake.

"It's hard to get back something once you give it up," said Pentz, who has owned his 10-acre farm on Woodinville-Duvall Road for about 20 years. "We want to keep our sense of community."

About 25,000 people live in the unincorporated area designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as Cottage Lake, which stretches north to south from the Snohomish County line to Redmond and west to east from Woodinville to Snoqualmie Valley Road. Thousands more travel through the region each day to get to work in Redmond or reach Interstate 405 and Highway 522.

Funding has not been dedicated for the project, and there are no cost estimates, said Jennifer Lindwall, manager of capital-improvement projects at the King County Department of Transportation. Dollars could come from county road funds and state and federal grants, she said.

A drive down Woodinville-Duvall Road reveals a community with two identities: Grazing horses share the side of the road with little country markets, while chain grocers and freshly constructed five-bedroom homes loom in the background.

"Things seem to move a lot faster now," said Nancy Stafford, a 20-year area resident. "We have an awful lot of people go through here. Sometimes the way into Woodinville is blocked for miles. But that's the problem everywhere in King County."

The project is only in the initial stages. This first phase involves the study and design of potential road improvements, environmental assessment and the selection of a preferred alternative — which likely will happen early next year, de Michele said.

When deciding on an alternative, planners will consider traffic volumes, projected growth in the region, environmental impacts, community needs and other factors. Then detailed designs will be finished, right of way purchased and construction started.

Natalie Singer: 206-464-2704 or nsinger@seattletimes.com.