A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Washington Jobs Now - I-5 concrete rehabilitation progressing in Thurston and Pierce counties
Crews are replacing 295 concrete panels on I-5 between Martin Way in Lacey and 48th Street in Tacoma. |
For WSDOT's Olympic Region, one of its biggest construction projects of the year is making its way down I-5 this spring and summer.
WSDOT and contractor Penhall Company began rehabilitating the concrete roadway in Thurston and Pierce counties three weeks ago. Nightly closures and weekend work have provided crews the construction windows needed to replace 85 of 295 concrete panels and 3,018 of 56,700 dowel bars on the project.
Construction between Martin Way in Lacey and 48th Street in Tacoma began in March and is scheduled for completion in September. The $8.4 million project replaces pavement that is more than 50 years old – this is more than twice its expected 20-year lifespan.
When work is completed, motorists will have a safer, quieter drive with fewer ruts, bumps and cracks. Drivers will notice a smoother ride, which means drivers will be less likely to get into a collision. Additionally, the roadway's structural integrity will be preserved and we can help keep Washington's economy moving.
The project preserves the freeway’s structural integrity and extends its lifespan. It also saves taxpayers money in the long run by eliminating maintenance on these highly traveled sections.
Drivers can stay informed about this project, visit the online construction schedule and watch the progress by visiting http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/construction/2010/tacoma.htm.
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Maintenance & Operations Feature - North Cascades open in time for anglers
Every year when the North Cascades opens, local resident Tootsie Clark is there to celebrate with warm cinnamon rolls. Here she caught up with some of WSDOT's maintenance and avalanche crews. |
WSDOT's maintenance crews opened the SR 20 North Cascades Pass on Friday, April 16, despite 100 inches of new snow that fell this spring. The opening of this northern cross-state highway is a welcome event for fishing enthusiasts and SR 20 merchants as they anticipate the opening of fishing season on Friday, April 24.
Although you may need sunscreen when you get to your destination, WSDOT reminds motorists that we can still have winter driving conditions in the upper elevations. Drivers should carry an emergency car kit and be prepared for delays in the event of an avalanche. Two avalanches have occurred since the gates to the North Cascades Pass swung open - one on Friday night, April 16, the other in the early morning hours of Monday, April 19. The latest avalanche happened about five miles east of Washington Pass and took about two hours to get the roadway cleared and safe for drivers.
The highway closed for the winter last November 17, following two temporary closures earlier in the month. Last spring, the highway opened at 8 p.m. on Friday night, April 24. Most openings have come between the last week in March and the first week in May.
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Update of projects under way
I-82 Union Gap - Construction on the interchange improvements at I-82 and Valley Mall Boulevard begin on Monday, April 26. The project will reconfigure the Valley Mall Boulevard interchange to provide better, more direct access to and from I-82 and North Rudkin Road, and improve connections to the interstate for both Union Gap and Yakima. Three new roundabouts will circulate traffic more safely and efficiently through this congested area. More than 22,000 vehicles use the I-82 Valley Mall Boulevard interchange every day making it a challenge to navigate through during peak travel times.
I-90, SR 520 Seattle - Crews working for WSDOT have begun a small but important safety project on the Interstate 90 Homer Hadley floating bridge and the State Route 520 Evergreen Point floating bridge. Over the next five months, workers will remove and replace 30 frayed and corroded anchor cables that hold the bridges in place on Lake Washington during windstorms. The floating bridge pontoons are connected to anchors on the bed of Lake Washington by dozens of thick stranded steel cables. Some of these cables, which help the bridges face strong winds and pounding waves each winter, are nearing the end of their design life. The $4.3 million project replaces 15 of 52 cables on I-90 and 15 of 58 cables on SR 520. WSDOT awarded the contract to General Construction Co. of Poulsbo, Wash.
US 195 Whitman County - Crews began work on paving project in southern Whitman County on April 22. The job consists of resurfacing US 195 from the Idaho border near Lewiston to the Town of Colton, about eight miles north. The roadway surface on this section of US 195 is deteriorating as a result of routine wear and tear. The existing pavement will be ground out and replaced with a new layer of asphalt. In Uniontown the entire roadway surface will be removed down to the subgrade gravel and be fully rebuilt. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided the funding for pavement improvements on this section of US 195. The work was made possible through savings on other ARRA construction projects built in 2009. The project should be fully completed by late June, weather allowing.
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Announcements
Gov. Gregoire congratulates Port Townsend students for submitting winning vessel class name
Gov. Chris Gregoire visited Blue Heron Middle School in Port Townsend April 22 to congratulate students for naming the state’s newest classification of ferries. WSDOT Ferries Division conducted a contest among fourth-grade students from Chimacum, Port Townsend and Whidbey Island studying Washington state history to name the new 64-car ferry classification. The winning entry was announced in January.
Blue Heron student Rose Dunlap submitted the winning entry, Kwa-di Tabil (pronounced kwah DEE tah-bayle), which translated from the Quileute dialect means “Little Boat.” Each fourth-grade class participating in the contest was asked to choose one name to submit for consideration. Classmates from teacher Scott Lundh’s fourth-grade class chose her entry as their favorite to forward to a panel of state and local officials, who picked the winner. The students were treated to a classroom visit by Governor Gregoire who presented them with a plaque commemorating their selection.
The first Kwa-di Tabil class ferry, Chetzemoka, is scheduled to begin service in late summer on the Port Townsend/Keystone route.
Todd Pacific Shipyards was awarded a $114 million contract by WSDOT to build two more 64-car ferries, in addition to the Chetzemoka. Construction will support 360 family-wage jobs for highly skilled workers. The second and third Kwa-di Tabil class ferries are scheduled to begin service in summer 2011 on Port Townsend/Keystone route and spring 2012 on the Point Defiance/Tahlequah route.
Amtrak Cascades starts 2010 with record ridership growth
Popularity of second Vancouver, B.C. train contributing significantly
The first quarter of 2010 set a new ridership record for Amtrak Cascades with an increase of nearly 34,000 riders over 2009, making it the highest ridership for the first quarter since 1994. Total ridership for the first quarter was 183,773 for all Amtrak Cascades trains—an increase of 22.4 percent.
Compared to 2009, Amtrak Cascades ridership has seen growth each month in the first three months of this year. January ridership was 55,989 - an increase of nearly 26 percent. In February, ridership soared to 60,745 for the month for a 34 percent increase over 2009. This growth in ridership was due largely to the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, B.C. March recorded the highest ridership for the quarter at 67,039 - an 11 percent increase over 2009.
A good portion of the ridership growth has been from the trains to and from Vancouver, B.C. In August 2009, a second train service to and from Vancouver, B.C. was added which included first time direct train service out of Portland, OR. Since August, ridership on the second train has totaled 32,091.
Amtrak Cascades operates four daily round-trips between Portland and Seattle; one daily round trip between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. and between Portland and Vancouver B.C.; and daily service between Eugene and Seattle, via Portland. Amtrak Cascades is operated by Amtrak in partnership with the Washington and Oregon Departments of Transportation.
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April meetings
27, Tuesday, 6 - 8 p.m., Open house, Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program - West Seattle: Join the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program team for an open house. This event is an opportunity to review the latest details for the viaduct replacement program and ask questions of program staff. Location: Madison Middle School, Commons, 3429 45th Ave. SW, West Seattle.
28, Wednesday, 6 - 8 p.m., Open house, Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program - Ballard: Join the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program team for an open house. This event is an opportunity to review the latest details for the viaduct replacement program and ask questions of program staff. Location: Ballard High School Commons, 1418 NW 65th St., Ballard.
Express Lane Archive
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