May Valley Road bridge closure continues to affect Maple Valley travel through Aug. 23
SE May Valley Road remains closed near Issaquah-Hobart Road SE while King County replaces Fifteen Mile Creek Bridge No. 493C, affecting a route that connects Maple Valley with Issaquah and Renton.
The closure began June 15, 2026, and King County expects it to continue through midnight Aug. 23. The county describes the work as a 10-week closure, but the Aug. 23 date is an expected deadline rather than a guaranteed reopening.
Detour in place during full closure
King County says the road is closed to vehicles, emergency responders, pedestrians and bicycles. A temporary signed detour is in place for people who would otherwise use the closed section.
Because the closure affects all listed road users, the detour applies to more than drivers. People walking or bicycling through the area cannot use the closed portion, and emergency responders are also included in the county’s closure notice. The source packet does not document any emergency-response delays.
The county identifies SE May Valley Road as a connection among Issaquah, Maple Valley and Renton. For Maple Valley-area commuters and other travelers, the practical change is that the usual route near Issaquah-Hobart Road SE is unavailable during construction. The county says the project is intended to maintain route reliability among those communities after the work is complete.
Construction began before the road closure
Construction began June 2, according to the county’s project page, before the road closure started June 15.
The project is replacing the bridge’s creosote-treated wooden support piles with a steel and concrete support system located out of the water. King County also says the work removes the creosote-treated piles from the stream.
That means the project involves both the bridge structure and the supports beneath it. The county’s description links the replacement to long-term route reliability while also identifying the removal of the treated piles from Fifteen Mile Creek.
School buses may run earlier
A June 4 notice from Maple Hills Elementary School and the Issaquah School District warned that affected buses could pick up students earlier after the June 15 closure began. The stated goal was to preserve normal school arrival times despite the road work.
The notice projects that the road could reopen at 11:59 p.m. Aug. 23, matching the county’s expected deadline. It names affected schools but does not provide a count of affected students or bus routes.
Schedule can change
King County cautions that the construction schedule may change because of weather, crew availability or equipment availability. Until the expected deadline, travelers, pedestrians and bicyclists should follow the signed detour and avoid the closed section.
Sources
- Fifteen Mile Creek Bridge No. 493C Replacement Project, King County
- May Valley Road Construction Project, Maple Hills Elementary School / Issaquah School District
Look for updates to this story
Discover more from Interactive News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
