A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Washington Jobs Now - I-5 Pierce County HOV project
Photo: Crews install drainage along the outside shoulder of northbound I-5 at the West Hylebos Creek Bridge.
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Construction ramped up this summer on the I-5 Port of Tacoma Road to King County Line – Add HOV Lanes project as WSDOT and contractor, Tri-State Construction, Inc., have taken advantage of the warmer weather - making significant progress on building Pierce County’s first high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and relieving congestion on I-5.
The project was selected as a critical shovel-ready project, receiving $35.3 million in funding from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The ARRA funds pay for construction, which supports an estimated 130 jobs.
Bellevue-based prime contractor, Tri-State Construction, Inc., has an average of 25 subcontractors on site each week. Better weather and longer days have increased the work force this summer, with multiple subcontractor crews working simultaneously.
Subcontractor, Totem Electric of Tacoma, Inc., for example, currently has four crews on site installing signage, lighting, ramp meter signals and traffic loops.
The stimulus-funded construction project is 70 percent complete, and is on schedule and on budget. Since the project began in August 2009, crews have completed widening the median and outside shoulders, built new I-5 bridges, and installed high-performance barrier in the median. The HOV lanes are scheduled to open to traffic by the end of October.
“These next 10 weeks will be a big push to complete this project this year,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Rumina Suafoa. “The work force will remain steady as we approach fall and focus on paving, installing electrical systems and permanent signage, and striping the roadway.”
Crews also continue drainage work, landscaping and excavating a floodplain mitigation site. Project completion is scheduled for late 2011.
The project will extend the statewide I-5 HOV network approximately three miles south into Pierce County. The carpool lanes will help ease congestion on this stretch of highway traveled by 200,000 vehicles a day, which is projected to increase to 254,800 vehicles by 2030.
WSDOT’s Tacoma/Pierce County HOV Program continues to piece together a long-term series of improvement projects to relieve congestion in Pierce County. The full congestion-relief and safety benefits of these projects will be fully realized once all the connecting projects are complete.
top Maintenance & Operations Feature - US 97A mudslide
Photo: WSDOT contractor, Central Washington Asphalt, working to clean up the mudslide.
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On July 13, the slopes above US 97A were on fire. The lightning-caused blaze stripped 20,000 acres of grass and brush north of Wenatchee. In the early morning hours of August 4, a storm cell dumped more than an inch of rain between Wenatchee and Lake Chelan, triggering three mudslides across US 97A. The largest, just north of Rocky Reach Dam at the mouth of Tenas George Canyon, forced evacuation of a couple from their mobile home and trapped a semi-truck trailer rig in 6-foot deep mud, huge rocks and debris. When the mud finally stopped flowing later that afternoon, estimates put the flow at 21,000 cubic yards – more than 2,000 dump truck loads covering the highway, the adjacent railroad tracks, and creating a jetty out into the Columbia River.
It became immediately apparent that WSDOT crews weren’t going to be able to clear all the slides by themselves. Fortunately the largest slide was within a mile of Central Washington Asphalt’s (CWA) gravel pit and equipment storage site. An emergency contract was quickly agreed to and CWA crews joined the cleanup effort by 8:30 a.m.
The detour alternative route on the opposite side of the Columbia River between Wenatchee and Chelan is US 97; however, a paving project was underway on that highway with 20-minute delays. Again, a quick determination was made to suspend that work while that route was the designated detour.
The cleanup work utilizing both WSDOT and CWA crews continued late into the night and resumed early morning on August 5. Five huge rocks on the roadway had to be blasted apart by our North Central Region Avalanche crew. The entire road remained closed until 4:30 p.m. when the lanes at MP 221 were clear and the closure was cut in half - Turtle Rock to Entiat.
It was considered critically important to have the roadway open on Friday, August 6 as US 97A is the primary route for those bound for Lake Chelan and 25 Mile Creek State Parks. Crews worked through the night and had the lanes at Tenas George Canyon and MP 210 open to traffic (at a reduced 45 mph speed limit) at 7:30 a.m. on August 6, 2-1/2 hours earlier than predicted. The Community of Entiat rejoiced at the news since its economy is dependent on those south shore bound visitors.
While the closure on US 97A was a significant inconvenience, it also demonstrated the value of WSDOT communications tools, including highway and freight alerts, direct media contacts, Highway Advisory Radio messaging, permanent and portable electronic message signs, WSDOT web pages (including Flickr), and the 511 road information phone line. This corridor also has a dedicated GovDelivery e-mail subscription list (for current rock slope and wildlife fence projects), which provided a higher level of direct communication with affected highway users. The overwhelming response to the mudslide cleanup effort from the public was positive.
top Update of projects under way
SR 532 Stanwood - WSDOT opened the new SR 532 bridge between Stanwood and Camano Island to traffic on August 13. Project staff held a brief ceremony on August 11 to celebrate the completion of the largest single piece of the project, the bridge structure. When this $84 million project is entirely complete in mid-2011, drivers will see changes to 10 miles of highway. Changes include truck climbing lanes, new turn lanes, bus pull outs, new sidewalks and new driveways along SR 532. The project will help reduce the number of collisions and the elimination of choke points for the nearly 20,000 drivers and freight haulers who use this vital corridor every day.
SR 99 Seattle - Crews working for WSDOT will close two of three southbound lanes on SR 99 across the Aurora Bridge and the southbound Fremont Way N. on-ramp from 6 a.m. to midnight on Sunday, August 15. The work is part of the installation of a fence to deter suicides on the historic landmark. This is the first of four consecutive Sunday closures needed to remove and replace more than 1000 rivets and bolt. Drivers can expect additional Sunday closures across the bridge on August 22 (northbound), August 29 (half day each northbound and southbound), and September 5 (northbound).
I-405 Bellevue - Crews successfully placed the 10th and final 100-ton girder for the new NE 12th Street Bridge over I-405 in Bellevue and reopened all lanes of southbound I-405 to traffic on August 11. It’s the first milestone for a construction project that will relieve area traffic congestion in 2012. This work is part of a larger $107.5 million project known as the I-405 Bellevue Braids that will improve congestion between I-405 and SR 520 by separating vehicles entering and exiting north bound I-405 between NE Eighth Street and SR 520 in Bellevue. The project is funded by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the 2005 Transportation Partnership Account gas tax.
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Announcements
Northbound I-5 lanes close week of August 14 for maintenance work
WSDOT bridge crews will close two lanes of northbound I-5 just south of the SR 520 interchange early Saturday and Sunday mornings, August 14 and 15, for concrete repair. This is noisy work and residents will notice it. It requires the use of jackhammers, concrete saws and air compressors. Large trucks and trailers will also be parked in the work zone.
The two right lanes northbound will close from 4 to 9 a.m. on Saturday and the two left lanes northbound will close from 4 to 9 a.m. on Sunday. Drivers can access real time traffic information from our travel website or by dialing 5-1-1.
WSDOT makes every effort to reduce noise during construction work. We limit the noisiest work to daytime hours. We lower the sound on backup warning alarms on construction trucks and use sound barriers when possible to reduce the effect of the noisy work. When the work is complete, drivers will notice a smoother ride on northbound I-5.
Prepare for August 20 closure of SR 520 Evergreen Point floating bridge
The annual weekend closure of SR 520 is scheduled for 11 p.m. August 20 through 5 a.m. August 23. Crews plan to complete important maintenance and inspections that weekend and drivers should plan extra time to take alternate routes. Drivers can monitor traffic around the bridge closure on our Seattle traffic website.
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August events
17, Tuesday, 10 a.m., Work party, SR 303 Manette Bridge Replacement Project - Bremerton: This project replaces the 1930 Manette Bridge with a new structure. The new bridge will accommodate motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians and preserve the important connection across the Port of Washington Narrows, improving mobility and safety in the Bremerton area. Location: H.O. “Whitey” Domstad Viewscape, Shore Road near the bridge, East Bremerton.
18, Wednesday, 10 a.m., Groundbreaking, I-5 - SR 161/SR 18 Triangle Improvements project – Federal Way: WSDOT will hold a groundbreaking event to kickoff a project that will modify the I-5, SR 161 and SR 18 interchange to eliminate weaving vehicle movements and improve traffic flow. This triangle area is used by freight haulers, commuters and recreational drivers. Location: Wildwaves Theme Park parking lot, 36201 Enchanted Parkway South, Federal Way.
Express Lane Archive
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