A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Washington Jobs Now - ARRA funds fuel HOV lane construction in Pierce County
Crews from subcontractor Pearson Drilling, Inc. are working in the I-5 median near Fife. The project will improve mobility by adding three miles of HOV lanes in each direction of I-5 in Pierce County. |
Highway work crews crowd a three-mile-long, 26-foot-wide strip of land separating north and south I-5 in Fife. They are excavating, drilling, grading, digging, laying pipe, building concrete forms and tying rebar for bridges and barrier.
Last spring, the I-5 Port of Tacoma Road to King County Line – Add HOV Lanes project was selected as a critical shovel-ready project, receiving $35.3 million from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The ARRA funds are being used to pay for construction, which supports an estimated 130 jobs. In addition to work forces from Bellevue-based prime contractor Tri-State Construction, Inc., workers from 15 to 20 subcontractors are on the job every week. As many as 50 skilled tradesmen and laborers have been hired specifically for the project.
“It’s good to see so many crews out here working in the winter months,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Rumina Suafoa. “They’re making good progress despite rain and cold temperatures.”
Looking ahead six months, Suafoa expects a 25 percent increase in the contractor work force on the job. Construction jobs typically ramp up in the spring and summer months as contractors take advantage of better weather and more daylight hours.
Construction started in mid-August 2009 and is 20 percent complete overall. Median-widening work is on pace to be finished in the spring. Once complete, both directions of mainline I-5 traffic will shift toward the median, giving crews room to work on the highway shoulders. Shoulder work includes installing drainage and lighting, constructing traffic barrier and retaining walls, and widening on-ramps. The project is scheduled to be open to traffic in late 2011.
The I-5 Port of Tacoma Road to King County Line – Add HOV Lanes project widens I-5 to accommodate three miles of HOV lanes in each direction south of the Pierce/King County line. The project is part of the Tacoma/Pierce County HOV Program, a series of highway projects that provide operational improvements and HOV lanes on I-5, SR 167 and SR 512.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - WSDOT TEF Office recognized with national Green Fleet award
WSDOT's use of hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles in its agency fleet helped the agency win recognition for the "Government Green Fleet" award for 2009. |
WSDOT’s Transportation Equipment Fund (TEF) Office was recently awarded the Government Green Fleet award for 2009. Out of 9,000 applications that were submitted, WSDOT ranked 28th out of the top 40 recipients that won the award. The award is open to all federal, state and local government fleets in North America.
Given by the 100 Best Fleets Program, the award “recognizes and rewards peak performing fleet operations in North America…[and] identifies and encourages ever-increasing levels of performance improvement within the fleet industry.”
The applications were evaluated on the basis of several key categories, including fleet composition (conventional fuel versus hybrid, electric and/or alternative fuel vehicles); fuel and emissions levels; policy and planning strategies; and involvement at both the executive and employee levels.
Winning this award highlights WSDOT’s efforts to meet its goal of reducing its carbon footprint, a major part of its initiative to address climate change. These efforts include the addition of more sidewalks, paths and trails for bicycling and walking, adopting a no-idling policy, and promoting a Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) program.
The 100 Best Fleets Program was developed to recognize and reward peak performing fleet operations in North America, while providing fleet professionals with the resources necessary to become more effective managers of their fleets, and educate them about the latest advances in green fleet technologies.
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Update of projects under way
SR 20 Anacortes - Just north of Deception Pass, crews have widened SR 20, built a new bridge, reduced hills and curves that limited sight distance, and improved safety at intersections between Pass Lake and Sharpes Corner. The $32.5 million project was completed on time and on budget in two stages and by separate contractors, Marshbank Construction and Scarsella Brothers Inc. Crews first broke ground in May 2007 on the 2003 gas tax-funded project. Crews will continue to finish miscellaneous tasks this winter, but drivers won’t likely see any more lane closures. The end of the Quiet Cove projects also marks the end of five years and $195 million in construction on nine safety improvement projects along the SR 20 corridor, stretching from Interstate 5 in Burlington to south of Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. The projects have dramatically improved sections of the corridor west of I-5, where serious and sometimes fatal collisions had occurred.
SR 520 Redmond - Crews switched traffic to a newly built on-ramp from eastbound SR 202 to westbound SR 520 on Jan. 6, as part of a $89 million project to widen SR 520 between SR 202 and West Lake Sammamish Parkway. Drivers now see new signs directing them to the new on-ramp that runs parallel to SR 520 from SR 202 to West Lake Sammamish Parkway. This work is a milestone in a project that adds a merge lane and HOV lane in each direction of SR 520 in Redmond. Now that traffic is on the new ramp, crews will bring the existing roadway up to grade with the new roadway and double the number of lanes. They will also build new walls and drainage systems for the wider and higher road. In addition to widening the highway, crews also are rebuilding the ramps at West Lake Sammamish Parkway to improve access to and from SR 520. WSDOT expects to complete this project late this year.
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Announcements
SR 520 Legislative Workgroup issues final report
Panel recommends west side design, SR 520 corridor financing
The final report of the SR 520 Legislative Workgroup is now online and in the hands of the governor and state legislators. The report outlines west side design and financing recommendations for the SR 520 corridor. The workgroup met from July to December 2009. Members weighed input from neighborhoods, environmental regulators, transit agencies, cities, advocates and independent cost experts before making their final recommendations.
In December, workgroup members voted to recommend Option A+ for the interchange design of the Montlake and University District area. This option is most similar to today’s interchange, with the addition of a second drawbridge over the Montlake Cut. Financing options also were recommended for the corridor program, which has a $4.65 billion budget set by the legislature. Strategies include tolling on SR 520, operating high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstate 90 as soon as practicable, pursuing federal and state funding, and, if necessary, collecting general tolls on I-90. More information about the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program is online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520bridge/
WSDOT seeks comments on draft Scenic and Recreational Highways Plan
WSDOT on Jan. 7 announced the release and public comment period for the updated State Scenic and Recreational Highways Plan. WSDOT has posted the draft plan for public review and comment on its Web site: www.wsdot.wa.gov/LocalPrograms/ScenicByways/BywaysPlan and will hold public hearings to take comments on the plan in late January.
The updated plan includes strategies for designating scenic highways, enhancing public access to these areas, and protecting and preserving some of the state’s most spectacular and diverse landscapes, including scenic, natural, recreational, cultural and historic resources. These strategies were developed jointly by WSDOT; affected counties, cities and towns; regional transportation planning organizations; tribes; scenic byway organizations; and other local, state and federal agencies. The plan will help satisfy state and federal requirements and ensure consistency with federal policy.
Comments about the plan can be submitted online, via e-mail: ReevesP@wsdot.wa.gov or in writing: WSDOT, Highways & Local Programs Division, PO Box 47390, Olympia WA 98504-7390.
Grants available for Safe Routes to School projects
WSDOT issued a “call for projects” on Jan. 6, inviting communities to apply for Safe Routes to School grants for projects that support walking and biking to school safely. The goals of the Safe Routes to School grants are to increase the number of children walking and biking to school where it is safe, and if it’s not safe, work to make it safer. The program supports pedestrian and bicycle safety projects such as walking school buses, sidewalks, bike lanes, pedestrian safety education, bicycle safety skills classes, crossing guards, speed feedback signs and traffic safety cameras. The program was created to provide children a safe, healthy alternative to riding the bus or being driven to school.
Eligible Safe Routes projects are those within two miles of primary and middle schools (grades K-8), and that address engineering solutions, educational and encouragement programs, and law enforcement efforts. Review criteria for the applications are also based on project readiness and need or potential impact. More detailed information about the grant program and the application process is available on WSDOT’s website at www.wsdot.wa.gov/LocalPrograms/SafeRoutes/CallForProjects. Applications for Safe Routes to School project grants are due to WSDOT on May 3, 2010.
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January open houses, meetings and events
12, Tuesday, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., Community meeting, US 12 intersection with SR 122/Williams Street - Mossyrock: WSDOT engineers will meet with community members to present traffic study findings and plans for intersection improvements. Location: Mossyrock High School gymnasium, 295 Williams Street, Mossyrock.
14, Thursday, 6 - 8 p.m., Community meeting, SR 410 Nile Valley - Yakima: WSDOT and Yakima County officials will meet with the Nile Valley community to present WSDOT's long-term plans for SR 410 in the landslide area. Location: Nile Valley Community Church.
Express Lane Archive
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