Langley Plans to Convert Sixth Street into Edge Lane Road

Sixth Street in Langley lost its traditional center line as part of a conversion to an "edge lane" road configuration under the ongoing Langley Infrastructure Project. The change replaces the center stripe with dashed markings that create a single travel lane flanked by wide edge shoulders, a design shift that alters how drivers and pedestrians share the corridor from Al Anderson to Cascade Avenue.

The restriping is one visible piece of a much larger reconstruction effort that has kept crews active across the small city for months. Water main installation was completed on Sixth Street east of Creekside Terrace (LIP-9), on Fourth Street (LIP-10), and on Furman Avenue (LIP-2). Stormwater installation proceeded on Edgecliff Drive (LIP-1 and LIP-5), while asphalt grinding for stormwater on Sixth Street (LIP-4) also took place. Shoulder cleanup crews worked Al Anderson (LIP-3 and LIP-14) and Island View (LIP-11), and parking lines were painted on Third Street (LIP-8).

The pavement milling machine returned to service and cut the surface of Fourth Street, Sixth Street, and the Third Street parking lot east of Anthes Avenue. City project updates noted that the milling would leave those roads matching the surface condition already on Sixth Street. Al Anderson Road received deeper subsurface grinding in preparation for full-depth restoration, the same treatment previously applied to Edgecliff. Island View received a shallower treatment: the surface was pulverized and finely graded ahead of paving.

Utility coordination also advanced. The city worked with Whidbey Telcom to remove the company's facilities from Sixth Street, a staging step required before final paving can proceed. Separately, representatives from the city, contractors Facet and Earthwork Solutions, Island County, and Miles Resources held a meeting on Edgecliff just beyond the city limits to discuss an upcoming stormwater outfall installation project in that area.

Upcoming work includes sewer infrastructure replacement on the east end of Sixth Street and stormwater infrastructure installation on Sixth Street between Park Avenue and Cascade Avenue. A weather-dependent pavement operation was scheduled for December 29 through 31 on Furman Avenue and Edgecliff Drive. The full Sixth Street pathway and pavement overlay is anticipated in the spring.

The project's scope traces back to a 2019 Transportation Improvement Plan, which programmed Sixth Street reconstruction from Al Anderson to Cascade at $790,000, describing the work as "pavement reconstruction, with extruded asphalt curb to provide separated pedestrian walkway." That cost covers asphalt, pedestrian, and storm drainage improvements; water and sewer costs are tracked separately and not included in the TIP total. The same planning document earmarked $1,710,000 for pavement reconstruction on Decker, Furman, and Edgecliff; $900,000 for Fourth Street between Cascade and Anthes; and $800,000 for a separated asphalt walkway on Al Anderson from Sixth Street to the Highlands.