ARLINGTON — With the resurfacing of Smokey Point Boulevard from Island Crossing to 188th Street NE, Arlington Public Works Director Jim Kelly doesn’t expect area residents to have many more construction-related traffic issues this summer. That is, unless he can persuade contractors to take on one more project.

An additional bit of roadwork that’s outside of the contractor’s original scope of work is 59th Drive NE, between 188th and 172nd streets, which Kelly hopes the contractor will have time for.

“It’s still up in the air,” Kelly said. “If it does happen, you can expect one-lane closures and delays on that road.”

The resurfacing of Smokey Point Boulevard began a month ago, and has also included the resurfacing of 188th Street NE from Smokey Point Boulevard to 47th Avenue NE, and of 47th Avenue NE from 188th Street NE to Cemetery Road. Kelly explained the advantages of applying a cape seal to those roads, as opposed to a chip seal.

“The problem with doing a chip seal is that rocks tend to fly off the road,” Kelly said. “For an urban environment, with bikes and kids, you want a surface-treated road.”

Edge-grinding work started Aug. 6 in the two neighborhoods in the northeast corner of the intersection between Smokey Point Boulevard and I-5. The neighborhoods, on the west and east sides of Smokey Point Boulevard, extend north to 179th Street and Place NE, and south to 176th Place NE.

Paving will take place Aug. 13, 14 and 17 in Smokey Point West, and from Aug. 17-20 in Smokey Point East. From there, paving will move to the Jensen-Kona-Marion neighborhood Aug. 20 and 21. Rather than cape seal, these neighborhoods will all receive completely new 2-inch overlays.

“Smokey Point Boulevard and those connected roads were more structurally sound,” Kelly said. “These neighborhoods are due for a bigger upgrade. The Jensen-Kona-Marion neighborhood will even get new water service.”