A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Washington Jobs Now - WSDOT hires contractor to rebuild I-5 interchange in Burlington
Project includes two new roundabouts
This design image shows how the new roundabouts will look at the I-5 on and off-ramps in Burlington. |
Two more roundabouts are in Skagit County's future. WSDOT recently awarded a $4.8 million contract to Interwest Construction, Inc. of Burlington to rebuild the I-5/SR 11 (exit 231) in Burlington. Along with the interchange rebuild comes two new roundabouts that will be located at the interchange's on- and off-ramp intersections. The roundabouts, along with new northbound I-5 on- and off-ramps, will help relieve congestion and improve safety at the congested interchange. This project will bring Skagit County's roundabout total up to nine.
At the moment, there is only one other roundabout at an I-5 interchange in Washington and it's located in Olympia. By the end of this year's construction season, the number of roundabouts at I-5 interchanges will have increased from one to six. Obviously, there will be the two at the I-5/SR 11 interchange, and then one will also open at the I-5/Northwest Ave (exit 257) interchange in Bellingham and two news ones will open at the I-5/D Street (exit 276) interchange in Blaine.
This I-5/SR 11 interchange project is moving forward thanks to funding from the 2005 Transportation Funding package. In recent years, congestion and collisions have been a regular occurrence at the interchange. There were 91 collisions in the vicinity of the interchange from 2002 to 2006, in which 36 people were injured and one died. Construction is expected to begin this spring and will wrap up in the fall.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - WSDOT Maintenance earns international recognition
WSDOT's Maintenance Accountability Process (MAP) is used to measure the effectiveness of its Maintenance Program. |
WSDOT gets more than just directions from its MAP. MAP, WSDOT’s Maintenance Accountability Process, offers the best route to measure the effectiveness of WSDOT's Maintenance program.
In early January, the MAP program garnered international recognition, joining 11 projects from eight different countries around the world winning a 2009 Global Road Achievement Award from the International Road Federation (IRF).
MAP is a performance-based maintenance approach. Each year, WSDOT Maintenance staff conducts field inspections of randomly chosen highway sections, evaluating the condition of the roadway and the adjacent features - everything from pavement repair, to ditch maintenance, to roadside vegetation, to pavement markings and more. These MAP surveys provide WSDOT maintenance the information to manage and clearly communicate how program investments translate into roadway performance.
The MAP program helps legislators, WSDOT management, field staff and Washington’s citizens see how Washington’s transportation system is keeping people and the economy moving, and protecting their investments into the future.
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Update of projects under way
I-90 Bellevue - Crews are continuing their work building foundations for sign bridges that will become a part of the smarter highways system for I-90. During the week of Feb. 1, nighttime work was taking place at:
- 142nd Place SE to westbound I-90 direct access ramp
- Eastbound I-90 to Bellevue Way
- Bellevue Way to westbound I-90
- Eastbound I-90 to 148th Avenue
The new sign bridges will hold overhead electronic signs alerting drivers to reduce their speed or change lanes when there are collisions or backups on the road.
I-405 Renton - Crews working for WSDOT began setting girders on Feb. 4 for a new Benson Road S. bridge over I-405 in Renton. Work is expected to wrap up Friday, Feb. 12. This bridge is one of the longest on the I-405 corridor because it crosses the freeway at an angle and must accommodate new on- and off- ramps to and from Talbot Road. When complete, this project will improve access to downtown Renton, relieve traffic congestion on the I-405 interchanges at SR 167 and SR 169, and increase freeway capacity for both commuters and freight haulers. The new bridge is part of the $83.6 million Renton Stage 2 project that adds a lane on I-405 in each direction between SR 167 and SR 169 and a half diamond interchange at Talbot Road. The project is funded by the 2003 and 2005 gas tax increases.
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Announcements
New Grape Line buses upgrade southeastern travel link
Passengers who travel between Walla Walla and Pasco – and on to virtually anywhere else – just got an upgrade with three brand new buses for the Travel Washington Grape Line intercity bus service.
“These new 20-passenger buses offer a more comfortable ride with separate luggage compartments, bike racks and the latest equipment to make travel easier for people who use wheelchairs,” said Grape Line Manager Kevin Oleson.
Indiana-based bus maker Turtle Top Inc. manufactured the vehicles. Each bus is equipped with high-back reclining passenger seats, a wheelchair lift, two wheelchair stations, a bike rack for two bicycles and luggage storage areas. Similar buses used for Travel Washington’s Dungeness Line on the Olympic Peninsula proved to be economical to operate and comfortable to ride.
Central Washington Airporter is the contracted Grape Line service provider. The Grape Line offers three scheduled round trips daily between Walla Walla and Pasco in southeast Washington through a partnership with WSDOT and Greyhound. It provides efficient and reliable connections in Pasco with Greyhound, Amtrak, and Ben Franklin Transit, and in Walla Walla with Valley Transit, Milton-Freewater Bus, and Columbia County Public Transportation.
The new Grape Line buses are the latest fruits from $1.9 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants for the Travel Washington Intercity Bus Program.
WSDOT's Ferries Division reports 2009 ridership stats
WSDOT's Ferries Division (WSF) issued a report on the ridership statistics for 2009. Ridership for 2009 was steady on our 22 vessels and 10 routes covering 200 miles of marine highway. For the year, we carried nearly 23 million riders and just over 10 million vehicles which mirrored our ridership in 2008. We view maintaining our ridership numbers as good news in this economic downturn. You can find the entirety of the 2009 ridership report online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/traffic_stats/.
Some highlights, when compared with 2008 ridership, include:
- Even though Edmonds/Kingston lost 30 percent of its traffic in May due to the temporary closure of the Hood Canal Bridge, ridership on the route was up overall.
- During the summer months, vehicle use was up 1.1 percent and there was overall growth on our recreational routes. We attribute this increase in recreational traffic to the “staycationers” or those choosing to spend their vacation near home as opposed to more distant travel destinations.
- Commute travel declined on our central sound routes – Bainbridge/Seattle, Bremerton/Seattle and Edmonds/Kingston; however, overall ridership was up on Edmonds/Kingston.
- Ridership increased on our north sound routes - Mukilteo/Clinton and Port Townsend/Keystone - and in the San Juan Islands.
- There was a 17 percent decline in large commercial vehicles (over 50 feet). We would like to see the commercial traffic on our routes increase since it is an important source of revenue for the ferry system. Commercial traffic is also a baseline of regional economic growth, and their use of our services is generally during off-peak travel times which is compatible with our other customers.
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February meetings
9, Tuesday, 5 - 7 p.m., Citizen Advisory Committee meeting, Tacoma Narrows Bridge - Gig Harbor: The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Citizen Advisory Committee will meet to discuss the State Transportation Commission's rate proposal. Location: Gig Harbor Civic Center, 3510 Grandview St., Gig Harbor.
Express Lane Archive
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