MARYSVILLE — Cedar Avenue is undergoing lane changes to reflect the needs of motorists and bicyclists alike, according to Marysville Assistant City Engineer John Cowling.

Whereas Cedar Avenue had previously been a four-lane road, lane repainting is turning it into a three-lane road — one lane heading northbound, another heading southbound, and a center lane serving as a turning pocket and an additional left-turn lane at intersections — and is adding parking and bicycling lanes on both sides of the road.

The lane changes will run south to Fourth Street and north to 80th Street, covering approximately 7,000 feet of road. New lane layouts began the week of Aug. 10, lane striping started Aug. 19, and Cowling expects work on the road to wrap up as soon as the week of Aug. 28, barring any inclement weather. Otherwise, he estimated that rain could delay the completion of the lane changes for another few weeks.

Cowling noted that the city of Marysville is looking for more opportunities to add bike lanes to city streets, including 67th Avenue. He added that bike lanes should increase the convenience of using the currently under construction park and ride station at the intersection of Cedar Avenue and Grove Street.

In the meantime, Cowling explained that the reduction in Cedar Avenue’s number of lanes should not adversely impact its traffic. He cited the Average Daily Traffic for Cedar Avenue as approximately 8,800 vehicles, while State Avenue’s ADT is more than 16,000.

“We’re even projecting what the needs of Cedar Avenue will be well into the future,” Cowling said.