A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Washington Jobs Now - WSDOT to begin controlled rock blasts on I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass
Photo: Crews prepare the area along westbound I-90 west of the snowshed for controlled rock blasting activities that will widen I-90 from four to six lanes.
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Drivers traveling across I-90 Snoqualmie Pass have been seeing more orange barrels and heavy equipment on the highway sides and median. WSDOT and crews from Max J. Kuney Co. are hard at work on the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East – Hyak to Keechelus Dam project, braving an unseasonably cold and wet spring to construct the new bridges and detours WSDOT will use to keep two travel lanes open during construction. This month, crews will also take another step to widen I-90 from four to six lanes.
In order to widen the narrow I-90 corridor from Hyak (milepost 55) to Keechelus Dam (milepost 60), on June 15 WSDOT and contractor crews will begin the first in a series of controlled rock blasts near Hyak. Crews will use waterproof explosives, a proven blasting technique. Crews will first drill holes in the rock slopes, place explosives in the holes, and then detonate the explosives, setting off a controlled blast. As part of each blast, explosives will fracture or crack a rock area close to 120 feet by 120 feet by 24 feet deep, or about 12,800 cubic yards. Crews will then use large equipment to safely remove the rock and haul it away. By the end of the construction season, we will have excavated approximately one million tons of rock from the slopes adjacent to I-90. That is 100,000 tons more than the weight of the Golden Gate Bridge!
For the safety of the traveling public and construction crews, and to minimize impacts on traffic, we will temporarily close both directions of I-90 from Hyak (milepost 54) to the Price Creek Sno-Park (milepost 61) at approximately 8 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays until October. However, construction schedules may change and crews could also blast on Tuesdays and Thursdays if needed.
If you are driving across I-90 during blasting, WSDOT encourages you to plan for up to an hour of added travel time Monday through Thursday evenings. We have many tools to help drivers plan their trips including:
The $571 million I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East – Hyak to Keechelus Dam project improves the safety and reliability of I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass. We anticipate finishing the first five miles of the multi-season project by 2016. When we’re done with the first five miles, we move to another 10 miles from Keechelus Dam to Easton to improve when funding becomes available.
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Maintenance & Operations Feature - WSDOT studying best practices in roadside vegetation management
Photo: Using landscape materials is one way WSDOT Maintenance crews stop grasses from growing near the roadside.
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In 2004, WSDOT partnered with the University of Washington to determine the best vegetation management practices by state and county road maintenance organizations. We discovered that organizations use varying methods, but there was little to no data on costs and long-term consequences.
WSDOT then started an internal three-year, field study to evaluate both costs and long-term results. The WSDOT study, Assessment of Alternatives in Vegetation Management at the Edge of Pavement, summarized data collected from 43 WSDOT roadside case studies. The methods ranged from WSDOT’s traditional practice of maintaining a bare-ground strip along the pavement edge, to establishing and managing pavement edge grass. The study provided WSDOT with valuable information that will help us balance roadside vegetation methods with the most cost-effective measures.
WSDOT’s roadside vegetation management program cares for and controls plants along the highway. If managed properly from year to year, roadside vegetation can become more self-sustaining and require less maintenance. This helps reduce costs and minimizes the need for herbicide use.
Each area of the state has a roadside vegetation management plan, a "how to" guide for the best way to manage roadsides. The plans determine the right tool or combination of tools, for the right plant at the right place and time.
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Update of projects under way
I-5 Seattle – Crews began work on June 9 for a pilot project to install specially designed panels to absorb traffic noise from the I-5 express lanes in Seattle. During the next several months, Penhall Company construction crews will hang more than 700 of these panels from the ceiling at the south end of the Ship Canal Bridge. When the work is complete by the end of the year, we expect residents closest to the test section to experience a noticeable noise level difference.
SR 14 Stevenson – Starting June 15, WSDOT’s contractor on the SR 14 Rockfall Mitigation project transitions to a multiple lane closure schedule for rock scaling until the project is complete in September. Drivers are encouraged to take alternate routes during closures, including Oregon’s I-84. When lanes are open, traffic on SR 14 will pass through the work zone in single lane, alternating directions, controlled by flaggers. An automated signal will control single-lane traffic at night.
SR 503 Ariel – Paving and safety work will begin on June 14 on SR 503 to the northern shore of Lake Merwin. This $2.5 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funded paving project could cause delays of up to 20 minutes on SR 503 between Rock Creek Bridge and Fredrickson Road (mileposts 35.5 to 46.0). This section of SR 503 carries an average of 16,000 vehicles per day. Paving and upgrading guardrail and road markings will preserve the road’s surface, reduce maintenance costs, collision risk, and improve mobility for all drivers. The project is expected to be complete in September.
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Announcements
Design-build teams announced for SR 520 Eastside project
WSDOT announced three teams that will compete to design and build the SR 520 Eastside Transit and HOV project, which includes approximately $325 million to $425 million in highway and environmental improvements from Medina to Bellevue.
The three pre-qualified teams are Skanska-Flatiron Joint Venture, Eastside Corridor Constructors and Kiewit/Atkinson Joint Venture. WSDOT selected the design-build teams based on Statements of Qualifications submitted in May. The teams will submit technical design and construction proposals for the Eastside project based on the request for proposals. Final proposals are due September 16. In October, WSDOT will identify the team with the best apparent value, based on a combination of technical score and bid. A design-builder would be onboard by the end of the year and break ground in 2011.
Keller Ferry out of service for inspections and repairs
The Keller Ferry vessel, Martha S., will be out of service for up to a month starting June 14, for inspections and repairs. The ferry shuttles drivers across the Columbia River and links Lincoln County and Ferry County on SR 21.
WSDOT will remove the ferry from service for its Coast Guard inspection, which happens once every five years. In addition, a repair contractor will perform more extensive repairs on the boat’s hull, auto deck and access hatches. Crews will also upgrade some of the electronic equipment on the vessel. Work should be completed no later than July 16.
While the Keller Ferry is out of service, motorists are advised to seek alternate routes across the Columbia River. The nearest crossings are downstream at Grand Coulee Dam or upstream via the Gifford/Inchelium Ferry.
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June meetings
22, Tuesday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Local meeting, Washington State Transportation Commission – Aberdeen: As part of their outreach efforts, the Transportation Commission will hold a meeting for local officials of the Grays Harbor area to share their transportation challenges and priorities. A public comment period is also scheduled during the meeting. Location: Port of Grays Harbor Commission Meeting Room, 115 South Wooding Street, Aberdeen.
23, Wednesday, 6:45 – 8 p.m., Presentation, SR 520 Tolling – Seattle: WSDOT’s Toll Division will provide an update on SR 520 tolling to Laurelhurst Community Club at their Annual Neighbors Meeting. Location: Laurelhurst Community Center, 4554 NE 41st St., Seattle.
24, Thursday, 5 – 7 p.m., Public hearing, SR 520 Pontoon Construction Project - Aberdeen: WSDOT project staff will hold a hearing to receive public comments on the draft environmental impact statement for the SR 520 Pontoon Construction Project. Location: Aberdeen High School, 410 North G St., Aberdeen.
Express Lane Archive
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