Time to Check Out Our Streets

Published on April 07, 2022

It takes work to keep Kirkland’s streets smooth.

That’s why we do an up-close inspection of major arterials and collector streets every two years - to evaluate road conditions. Over the next month, you may see crews conducting visual inspections. They’ll be working along the roadside, not in the middle of streets, so there won’t be any cones or traffic control.

They’ll be checking for: cracking, distortion, ruts, potholes, patch deterioration, weathering or other surface defects.  They will be in teams of two, and you’ll know them by their safety vests and vehicles marked with “CAPS” (Capitol Asset & Pavement Services) and “Pavement Distress Survey.” There’s no need to report them to police – we want them to case our streets!

Kirkland’s main arterial streets see higher traffic volumes and heavier vehicle loads, like public transportation, so they require inspections more often than residential streets, which are checked every four years.

The inspection work is expected to start in late April and take about four weeks, ending in mid-May.

The biennial roadway inspection is just one way we help preserve our streets. The goal of Kirkland's annual street preservation program is to keep the City's 665 lane miles of roads in good condition - so they’re functional for travelers and cost-effective for the City to maintain.

See more about the City’s Street Preservation program here.