A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Washington Jobs Now - Stimulus funds move I-405 project up by five years
WSDOT engineers inspect the newly created work zone along I-405 in Bothell. The project will add a new northbound auxiliary lane to improve traffic flow and safety. |
Work began Monday, Oct. 26 on an auxiliary lane on northbound I-405 in Bothell from NE 195th Street to SR 527; one of the area’s worst bottlenecks. The $19.3 million project – funded by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) increases speeds, reduces collisions and improves access to the Canyon Park park-and-ride in Bothell.
“This project wasn’t scheduled to be complete until 2015,” said Jerry Lenzi, Assistant State Secretary of Transportation. “Stimulus funds allowed us to move this forward by five years. It’s pretty remarkable when you think about it. Congestion relief will start five years earlier than planned.”
What's more, the project supports 90 jobs during a difficult economic recession that will, in turn, support Washington families and local businesses. Kiewit Pacific Co, the design-build team hired for this project is renting 8,000 square feet of office space in Bothell. Occupying this space means new customers for surrounding restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations.
Kiewit added O’Neill Environmental to their team to provide Quality Assurance for the project. O’Neill is an example of a small business benefitting from ARRA funding. O’Neill got their business license as an independent business in February and has hit the ground running and adding value to the project by making sure work done on this project meets or exceeds WSDOT and Federal standards. O’Neill was able to hire new staff to grow their business as a direct result of this project.
“Without the federal funds WSDOT received from this project, we wouldn’t have been able to hire extra staff” said Dennis O’Neill, owner of O’Neill Environmental “we’re very grateful to provide new opportunities to our professional engineers and, at the same time increase our revenue to grow our company”
To reduce the impacts to drivers, a majority of the work will be done during the day and behind a concrete barrier. The new lane is scheduled to open to drivers by June 2010.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - WSDOT offers ways to know before you go and be prepared for winter driving
From Nov. 1 to April 1, tire chains must be carried on commercial vehicles and those of more than 10,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight rating. |
WSDOT reminds drivers to know before they go and take the time to prepare for winter driving to help themselves, their passengers and fellow drivers stay safe and keep the economy moving. For winter driving tips, car preparation advice, and information about WSDOT’s winter operations go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/winter.
Washington law requires commercial vehicles and combinations of vehicles more than 10,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) to carry sufficient tire chains between Nov. 1 and April 1. This includes some larger passenger trucks, SUVs, recreational vehicles and trucks hauling trailers. In addition it is important to emphasize when vehicles are required to chain up to do so in the designated areas. This will ensure the safety of our motorists as well as keep traffic moving. Failing to carry chains will cost heavy-truck drivers $155.
WSDOT reminds drivers studded tires are only legal for use between Nov. 1 and March 31. Make plans well in advance to have studded tires removed by the end of March because WSDOT will not extend the deadline unless there are severe, statewide winter conditions. Motorists are encouraged to visit their tire dealers for chains and find out about tires that provide traction and are legal for use year-round.
Here’s what drivers can do to prepare:
- Get your car ready and plan extra time to cross all mountain passes, including heavily-traveled routes such as I-90 Snoqualmie Pass, US 2 Stevens Pass, and US 12 White Pass.
- Carry chains and know the traction and chain requirements - Mountain pass traction and chain requirements are available on the Web, highway advisory signs and highway advisory radio. WSDOT advises drivers to program 530AM and 1610AM on your radio. When those advisories call for chains, drivers who don’t chain up will face a $500 penalty.
- Sign up for news and social media tools such as Twitter at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/.
- Go to http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/weather/and find weather forecasts and road temperatures throughout the state.
- Bookmark http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/winterfor more information on WSP chain requirements, WSDOT’s winter programs, a list of frequently asked questions, car emergency kits and ways to prepare your vehicle for winter.
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Update of projects under way
I-90 Snoqualmie Pass - Motorists driving on I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass will experience a smoother, safer ride as WSDOT and contractor crews wrap up construction on the first phase of the Lake Easton to Bullfrog project. On this project contractor crews replaced approximately four and a half miles of the right-hand concrete lane and asphalt shoulders of westbound I-90 between Easton (milepost 70) and Cle Elum (milepost 80). Crews also replaced and ground sections of severely deteriorated concrete panels in the left lane and upgraded safety features such as guardrails and striping. The $18.4 million concrete rehabilitation project supported more than 70 jobs and is one of five American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)-funded projects on I-90 this year.
SR 509 Tacoma - Crews began work Oct. 30 on State Route (SR) 509 near the Port of Tacoma as an eight-month project to repair damage from a December 2002 rail-car fire gets under way. The blaze damaged two bridge columns and 15 girders. Work to replace the 140-foot-long girders will continue through June 2010. Column repairs were completed earlier this month. Nearly 32,000 drivers use SR 509 each day. To keep traffic moving, crews will repair one half of the damaged bridge span at a time, reducing a segment of the four-lane bridge to two lanes with one lane of traffic in each direction. The speed limit through the construction zone drops from 60 mph to 35 mph. WSDOT awarded the $2.9 million repair contract to Granite Construction Company of Everett, Wash., in June 2009. Funding comes from a settlement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe and federal bridge replacement funds.
SR 520 Redmond - Contractor crews rebuilt the upper half of the eastbound SR 520 off-ramp to West Lake Sammamish Parkway. The work removed a large curve in the eastbound SR 520 off-ramp. This work is part of a $89 million project to add a carpool lane and merge lane in each direction of SR 520 between SR 202 and West Lake Sammamish Parkway. The SR 520 widening project is expected to reduce peak morning and evening commute congestion by more than 50 percent. The weekend-long ramp work is considered a small milestone in this two-year project because it marks the point where work begins to shift to the west end of the 1.2-mile project over sensitive waterways. WSDOT is rebuilding the ramps at SR 520/West Lake Sammamish Parkway to improve safety and traffic flow.
SR 539 Lynden - Crews will install cable median barrier along Guide Meridian (SR 539) in a continued effort to improve safety and relieve congestion between Bellingham and Lynden. The barrier will help prevent dangerous crossover and t-bone collisions. Over the next several weeks crews will install the cable median barrier from Ten Mile Road north for three miles to Wiser Lake Road. The barrier will extend another mile north to Fishtrap Creek before the project is completed. There were 53 people injured in 55 collisions along this section of the Guide from 2002 to 2007. The cable barrier is part of a larger $106.7 million project that will transform the Guide Meridian into a dramatically safer and less congested four-lane divided highway from Ten Mile Road to Lynden.
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Announcements
WSDOT seeks firms to replace half of the Alaskan Way Viaduct
WSDOT issued an advertisement for bids on Oct. 26 to replace the southern mile of the seismically vulnerable Alaskan Way Viaduct. The construction project is expected to cost more than $200 million and sustain an estimated 1,017 jobs.
Set to break ground in March 2010, the project will replace the viaduct between S. Holgate and S. King streets with a new side-by-side roadway that has wider lanes, meets current earthquake standards and improves mobility for people and goods in the south of downtown area. In addition to replacing nearly half of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, this project will improve nearby surface streets, sidewalks and bicycle routes. A new undercrossing at S. Atlantic Street will allow vehicles and freight to bypass frequent rail traffic west of the stadiums.
The project was designed to connect to any future replacement of the remaining viaduct along the waterfront, including the proposed bored tunnel. This new section of SR 99 will connect to the remaining viaduct near S. King Street, until that section is replaced. Doing so will allow SR 99 to remain open to traffic throughout construction.
First new 64-car ferry named Chetzemoka
The Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) named the first new 64-car ferry Chetzemoka after the S’Klallam Chief Chetzemoka at their Oct. 20 meeting. Chief Chetzemoka greeted and befriended the first non-natives to settle in Port Townsend in the 1850s. His great, great grandson, Les Prince, was in attendance at the WSTC meeting in support of the name. The Port Townsend community suggested the name for this ferry which will serve the Port Townsend/Keystone route beginning in 2010.
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November meetings and events
3, Tuesday 1 p.m., Ribbon cutting event, US 395 - Columbia Drive to SR 240 - Rebuild Interchange project - Kennewick: State, regional and local government officials will join WSDOT and its contractor to celebrate the completion of the US 395 - Columbia Drive to SR 240 interchange rebuild project. The project improves safety and traffic flow at this heavily traveled interchange. Location: Construction staging area near the Blue Bridge, off of Columbia Park Trail, Kennewick.
3, Tuesday, 4 - 7 p.m., Open house, Eastside Corridor Tolling Study - Kent: WSDOT is holding an open house for the Eastside Corridor Tolling Study. The tolling study examines the possibility of creating a two-lane express toll lane system, alongside existing toll-free general purpose lanes on I-405. The express toll lanes would connect with the SR 167 HOT lanes, creating a 50+ mile “expressway within a freeway” from Puyallup to Lynnwood. Through the use of technology, an Eastside Corridor express toll lane system could give commuters a choice for a reliable, fast trip every day. Location: Kent Meridian High School, Cafeteria, 10020 SE 256th Street, Kent.
4, Wednesday, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., WSF Community meeting - Southworth: WSDOT Ferries Division (WSF) is holding a community meeting to provide updates on ferry issues specific to Southworth and regarding preparations for the 2010 Legislative session. This is an opportunity for people to provide comments on ferry system issues. Location: South Colby Elementary School, 3281 Banner Road SE, Port Orchard.
5, Thursday, 10:30 a.m., Sign unveiling, SR 529 Yellow Ribbon Highway -Everett: WSDOT will hold an event to unveil new signs along SR 529, designating it as a "Yellow Ribbon Highway" in honor of active U.S. military personnel residing and serving in Washington state and deployed to foreign assignments. Location: Inn at Port Gardner, 1700 W. Marine View Drive, Everett.
5, Thursday, 4 - 7 p.m., Open house, Eastside Corridor Tolling Study - Kirkland: WSDOT is holding an open house for the Eastside Corridor Tolling Study. The tolling study examines the possibility of creating a two-lane express toll lane system, alongside existing toll-free general purpose lanes on I-405. The express toll lanes would connect with the SR 167 HOT lanes, creating a 50+ mile “expressway within a freeway” from Puyallup to Lynnwood. Through the use of technology, an Eastside Corridor express toll lane system could give commuters a choice for a reliable, fast trip every day. Location: Kirkland City Hall, Peter Kirk Room, 123 5th Avenue, Kirkland.
Express Lane Archive
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