A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Washington Jobs Now - Crews reach milestone with SR 532 bridge deck pour
Off road and just out of sight to drivers, crews work to pour the new bridge deck. |
Crews reached an important milestone May 19 when they finished pouring the largest deck portion for the new SR 532 bridge. The 532 bridge spans the Stillaguamish River between Stanwood and Camano Island. For the next two weeks, portions of the new bridge will be covered in plastic to help keep moisture in while the deck slowly cures.
Stanwood Redi-Mix delivered the 500 cubic yards of concrete needed to form the bridge deck, and it took crews about 10 hours to pour and level the area. Redi-Mix delivered 55 truckloads of concrete for the deck, which is equivalent to roughly 100,000 one-gallon milk jugs.
The new bridge will be more than twice as wide as the current span. It will have wide shoulders for emergency responders and disabled vehicles, a lower profile for better driver visibility, and will meet more stringent earthquake standards.
There’s plenty of other work to keep bridge crews busy while the concrete cures. Work on the west side approach has begun in earnest, now that they have wrapped up the majority of the east side approach. Drivers will notice an additional temporary gravel entrance on the west side of the bridge. This is to help crews get in and out of the area. A steady stream of big trucks will import and export rock, dirt and other approach materials.
The project also includes safety improvements on SR 532 from I-5 to Terry’s Corner on Camano Island. Crews expect to wrap up the majority of work this fall, which includes completing the last of three new truck-climbing lanes, adding turn lanes, improving intersections at several locations, adding new street lighting, and paving from the Mark Clark Bridge to 72nd Ave. NW. Once the new bridge is completed and opened to traffic in August, the old bridge will be demolished.
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Maintenance & Operations Feature - Getting ready for holiday travel
Expect heavy traffic on I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass. |
While active roadway work will take a three-day break, drivers should prepare for added travel time over the traditional summer travel kick-off.
Work at most construction projects around the state will move off the highway from noon on May 28 until June 1. Although there may not be any active construction over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, drivers should prepare for shifted lanes, roadway detours and reduced speed zones in places.
WSDOT has listed on its website the times and places drivers may likely see weekend delays on US 2, I-90, I-5 at the Canadian Border, and I-5 south of Olympia through Lewis County.
Drivers should expect longer-than typical wait times at ferry docks and Canadian border crossings most of the holiday weekend. Drivers should also expect additional traffic on US 2 Stevens Pass and I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass, primarily on Friday and Monday of the holiday weekend.
WSDOT offers many ways to know before you go:
- 511 - This driver information phone line provides current traffic, incident and closure information. TTY users can call 1-800-833-6388. Out-of-state callers can access the information at call 1-800-695-ROAD (7623).
- On WSDOT’s travel website, drivers can see information such as camera images from across the state, the Washington State Ferry schedule, and a map showing highway incidents and closures.
- WSDOT is using new tools to provide traveler information on social media (Twitter, Facebook) and for mobile devices. You can also sign up for specialized e-mail alerts including news and information for freight haulers, construction related traffic revisions, and project updates from all around the state.
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Update of projects under way
I-5 Stanwood – Crews opened all lanes of southbound I-5 near Stanwood on May 20, just in time for the warmer weather and busier driving season. Construction began last summer on the $9.2 million concrete rehabilitation project, which was among more than 200 projects statewide funded by last year’s federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Construction was put on hold during the wetter, colder winter months and resumed in March. Crews replaced 1,208 broken concrete panels along six miles of southbound I-5, between Starbird Road in Skagit County and SR 532 in Snohomish County. Approximately 59,000 vehicles use this stretch of I-5 daily. Repairing the pavement will reduce costly temporary repairs, provide drivers with a safe and smooth ride, and ensure that the roadway will last well into the future.
I-5 Blaine - The newly remodeled I-5/D Street interchange in Blaine, now equipped with two roundabouts, reopened to drivers six days ahead of schedule on May 19. WSDOT closed D Street and both I-5 on-ramps at the interchange on April 5 in an effort to speed up construction and minimize impacts to drivers and businesses. Crews worked to build two roundabouts, one at each on-/off-ramp intersection, in less than 50 days. The roundabouts replace two traffic signals and were designed to improve traffic mobility and safety. Construction will continue at the interchange even with the roundabouts open to traffic. Crews will close lanes as necessary at night to install street lights and permanent lane markings.
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Announcements
WSDOT starts installing US 12 “Lights on For Safety” signs May 24
In response to the Mossyrock community’s request for safety improvements on US 12, WSDOT is installing 14 “Lights on For Safety” signs between I-5 and the SR 410 junction near Naches. The first sign will be installed just west of Mossyrock and unveiled May 24. All of the signs will be installed by May 27.
“Lights on For Safety” signs are a low-cost safety improvement in line with Target Zero, Washington’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Target Zero aims to eliminate traffic deaths by the year 2030 through education, engineering and enforcement on our state highways.
WSDOT has recently made other safety improvements to the US 12 corridor, including the installation of rumble strips along more than 40 miles of highway in 2008. In 2011 a project will repave, restripe and install new signs on portions of US 12 between Morton and Randle.
Washington keeps title for the “Most Bicycling Friendly State” for the third year in a row
For the third time, Washington has been rated by the League of American Bicyclists as the nation’s number one “Bicycle Friendly State.” Washington’s strong commitment to bicycling through its policies, programs and facilities has again earned the state national recognition for its bicycle-friendly communities.
The Bicycle Friendly State Program is a recognition program that ranks a state’s bike-friendliness and recognizes states that actively support bicycling as a way of addressing climate change, traffic congestion, obesity and high fuel prices. States are rated based on their support of bicycling through legislation, policies and programs, education, places to ride, and planning. Washington scored consistently high in all ranking evaluation categories.
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May meetings and events
25, Tuesday, 4 – 8:30 p.m., Open house/access hearing, I-5 Mellen Street to Blakeslee Junction project - Chehalis: WSDOT’s project team will hold an open house and formal access hearing for the I-5 Mellen Street to Blakeslee Junction project, which is the fourth project in a $390 million series of I-5 improvement projects in Lewis and south Thurston counties. Location: WSDOT Chehalis Office, 1411 Rush Road, Chehalis.
25, Tuesday, 5 - 8 p.m., Open house, North Spokane Corridor project - Spokane: WSDOT's project team will hold an open house to share information about the North Spokane Corridor construction schedule and design. WSDOT's Real Estate Services staff will also be on hand to answer any questions about right-of-way acquisition. Location: East Central Community Center, 500 South Stone St., Spokane.
27, Thursday, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., Community meeting, Washington State Ferries - Anacortes: WSDOT's Ferries Division (WSF) is holding a series of meetings in ferry communities to share information and discuss current ferry issues. Location: Anacortes Chamber, 22nd & O Street, Anacortes.
Express Lane Archive
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