A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Washington Jobs Now - Unique partnership results in safety improvements for pedestrians at Stevens Pass
With its funding partners, WSDOT will construct a pedestrian bridge over US 2 at Stevens Pass so that recreational users will no longer need to cross four lanes of highway. |
A decade-long effort to improve pedestrian safety at the summit of Stevens Pass will finally begin this spring. By this coming ski season, a pedestrian bridge over US 2 and other improvements will be in place to reduce risk to both recreationists and motorists.
One of Stevens Pass Ski Area’s primary parking lots is directly across the highway from the resort. Skiers must cross four lanes of busy US 2 traffic, often on an unsteady surface in poor weather with limited visibility. At any time of the year, hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail which crosses the highway there, face the same risk.
WSDOT, the US Forest Service and the Stevens Pass Ski Area all wanted a solution, but funding seemed an insurmountable hurdle – none had enough to build a tunnel or a bridge to separate vehicles and pedestrians. The logjam broke in 2007 when a Federal Forest Enhancement Grant of nearly $1 million was awarded to the project. The Ski Area contributed more money and WSDOT's pedestrian safety funds were tapped, taking the project from dream to reality.
Two years of permitting and design work led to the award of an almost $1.8 million contract in December to Tri-State Construction, Inc. for a bridge over the highway. Construction begins May 3 and crews are expected to complete the project by November.
The project also adds a right turn lane into a ski area parking lot on the west side of the summit, reducing lengthy backups that have encouraged unsafe passing maneuvers and delays for eastbound passenger vehicles and trucks.
Another change coming as a result of the project will be a different camera view for those visiting the WSDOT Stevens Pass web page. The current East View camera and Road Weather Information Station (RWIS) location at the west end of the Summit North parking lot, is where the new bridge will be built, so it moves to the east end of that lot and the view will be reversed so the parking area, the highway and the bridge will all be visible. The current West View that is camera located under the eaves on the Ski Resort Lodge, will continue to show the Summit West parking lot (where the new right turn lane will be built) and the highway.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - Let the games begin - WSDOT is ready!
WSDOT will have extra Incident Response trucks out on the highways to help visitors to the Winter Olympics stay on their game. |
WSDOT has been planning and preparing for the Winter Olympics ever since we first learned the games were coming to our neighbor to the north, Vancouver, British Columbia. Our goals have been to increase traveler information and finish major construction projects near the border.
We've added new cameras and border wait times to our traveler information to help drivers make informed decisions about traffic and border conditions.
To make the drive to the games a little easier, we'll suspend all highway construction work during the games on major border crossing routes. We've added extra Incident Response trucks to help respond and clear collisions and incidents quickly and safely. And, we have additional equipment and personnel on call, ready to respond to snow, freezing conditions or floods.
WSDOT advanced and completed construction projects on routes leading to and from the U.S./Canada border in an effort to be out of the way of drivers during the games. WSDOT invested nearly $500 million on four major safety and congestion relief projects including I-5 in Everett, SR 543, SR 539 and SR 9.
And finally, we've added information about entering Canada, travel at the games, southbound border crossings, and entering the United States to WSDOT’s Web site - www.wsdot.wa.gov/congestion/border/.
Here are some travel essentials for crossing the border:
Map of border crossing routes: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Congestion/border/Map.htm
Border cameras and wait times: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/border
Wait times via text message: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/inform/twitter
Traveler information Web site: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/
Telephone hotline: 5-1-1
Be on your game - know before you go!
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Update of projects under way
I-5 Mountlake Terrace – Crews working on the $40.9 million Mountlake Terrace Freeway Station project were busy Feb. 9 - 11 setting girder across the I-5 freeway lanes and shoulder. WSDOT and Sound Transit are building a freeway station in the I-5 median at 236th Street SW in Mountlake Terrace. The station will provide buses with direct access to and from the I-5 HOV lanes. An overhead, covered pedestrian bridge will connect the station to the Mountlake Terrace Park and Ride. The girders will support the new pedestrian bridge and connection to the park and ride on the east side of the freeway The Mountlake Terrace Freeway Station is the fifth direct access ramp project in Snohomish County undertaken as a partnership between Sound Transit and WSDOT, and the second facility built in the freeway median following the South Everett Freeway Station.
SR 22 Toppenish - Preparation work for a SR 22 widening and safety improvement project began on Feb. 8. This project provides for the improvement of one mile of SR 22 near Toppenish, between East Branch Road and McDonald Road, by extending box culverts, extending irrigation pipes, and modifying existing Wapato Irrigation Project facilities. WSDOT and the contractor will begin work on extensions to the existing irrigation pipes and culverts along SR 22 just North of Toppenish. The majority of this work is being done outside the traveled way so impacts to traffic are expected to be minimal. Highway widening work is scheduled for construction in the spring of 2011.
US 395 Spokane - Crews continue work on the North Spokane Corridor/US 2 to Wandermere-Lanes and Bridges project. Workers are constructing twin bridges connecting the North Spokane Corridor to existing US 395 at Wandermere. Blasting work continues between Wandermere Road and the Little Spokane River Bridge and drivers should expect delays. Blasting is not done during snow storms. In general, Wandermere Road is closed from US 395/Division Street to approximately 50 feet south of the Wandermere Estates and Golf Course entrance through March 1st, 2010. The project is scheduled for completion in 2011.
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Announcements
WSDOT awards second contract of the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project to Max J. Kuney
WSDOT awarded Max J. Kuney Co. (Spokane, WA) the second construction contract of the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East – Hyak to Keechelus Dam Project. Max J. Kuney submitted the low bid of $76 million, which was 30 percent under WSDOT engineer’s estimates.
Crews will make improvements on the first three miles of the five-mile long corridor between Hyak and near the Lake Keechelus Snowshed by:
- Adding a new lane in each direction.
- Replacing deteriorated pavement of existing lanes and shoulders.
- Adding and replacing bridges and culverts.
- Stabilizing rock slopes.
- Extending chain up and chain removal areas.
- Adding illumination, traffic cameras, and variable message signs.
The project will take three and a half years to complete due to the short construction window on I-90 Snoqualmie Pass, with an estimated completion date of fall 2013. During construction, motorists will use a detour bridge built last year at Gold Creek, which means Max J. Kuney can begin construction on this project as early as April, depending on weather conditions.
Get a free adult ORCA card at Colman Dock Feb. 23-24
Traveling the Puget Sound region by bus, train and ferry just got easier with the arrival of ORCA—One Regional Card for All. It’s a single card that works for passenger fares on Washington State Ferries and transit agencies in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. The ORCA card works like cash or a pass, automatically tracking the value of different fares and transfers so you don't have to.
WSDOT's Ferries Division (WSF) will be at the Seattle Ferry Terminal distributing free adult ORCA cards:
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Look for our table on the Passenger Level at Colman Dock.
Beginning March 1, adult ORCA cards will cost $5.00.
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February open houses and meetings
16 & 17, Tuesday & Wednesday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., monthly meeting, Washington State Transportation Commission - Olympia: The Washington State Transportation Commission provides a public forum for transportation policy development. It reviews and evaluates how the entire transportation system works across the state and issues the state’s 20-year Transportation Plan. As the State Tolling Authority, the Commission sets tolls for state highways and bridges and fares for Washington State Ferries. Location: Transportation Building, Commission Boardroom, 310 Maple Park Ave. SE, Olympia.
18, Thursday, 4 - 7 p.m., Open house, SR 14 multiple projects - White Salmon: WSDOT is hosting an open house to provide information about three projects along SR 14 this summer. The projects, between Camas and White Salmon, are designed to improve safety and mobility. Location: White Salmon Valley Library, 5 Town & Country Square, White Salmon.
Express Lane Archive
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