Officials from the City of Edgewood and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) broke ground Wednesday on a project that will widen the highway and add lanes to a section of State Route 161. The SR 161 corridor in Edgewood is currently one lane each direction with a center-turn lane. According to WSDOT, traffic has steadily increased in recent years, resulting in congestion, delays and collisions. The first phase of this project includes adding one lane in each direction from 24th Street to Milton Way (1.2 miles), sidewalks, and four-foot shoulders to accommodate bicycles. Additionally, driveways along the highway will be consolidated and defined, and a new traffic signal will be constructed at the intersection with 16th Street. When completed, SR 161 will be five lanes (two through lanes each direction plus a center turn lane) with paved shoulders, curbs and sidewalks on both sides. The project was awarded to Tri-State Construction Inc., on Aug. 17, for their apparent low bid of $11.9 million. For more information, visit http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr161/36th_jovita/ .