Project of the Week - I-90 Downtown Spokane Project to Resume
Repairs to westbound I-90 in downtown Spokane will start on May 13. Similar work was done last summer on the eastbound I-90 lanes, shown here. |
Major construction on
Interstate 90 in downtown Spokane resumes on May 13. Contractor crews will resurface the rutted pavement and install new bridge expansion joints on the westbound I-90 lanes during the summer construction season. Similar work was done last summer on the eastbound lanes. The project will eliminate pavement ruts that are up to two inches deep, improving the safety and ride for the nearly 100,000 motorists that travel the freeway daily. Plus, crews will replace expansion joints between each freeway section that have been damaged as a result tires traveling in the ruts and slamming into the steel plates.
During construction, I-90 through downtown Spokane will be reduced to two lanes in each direction, and motorists will need to navigate on 10.5-foot wide lanes with no freeway shoulders. The legal speed limit will be posted at 45 mph within the construction zone, down from the standard 60 mph. In addition, eastbound I-90 on the Sunset Hill will have a 55 mph speed limit, also down from 60. A major impact on traffic will be the closure of several on and off ramps in the downtown area. To help motorists, WSDOT has identified a variety of alternate routes to get to and from I-90 and into the downtown retail and business area.
Special maps with suggested travel patterns are available in a printed brochure and on the web.
Competitive bids for the project were opened in early April 2006 with two local firms joining together for the project. Degerstrom/Acme Joint Venture of Spokane had the low construction bid of $8.8 million. Total cost for the project, with engineering, contingencies, and taxes, is pegged at $13 million. Work is scheduled to be finished in mid-September.
top
Incident of the Week - WSDOT Crews Perform Under Pressure After High-Profile Collision
As far as collisions go, Washington State Patrol troopers who arrived on scene at 2:45 a.m. on May 8 said this was one of the most violent impacts ever. A vehicle traveling northbound on I-5 left the roadway and smashed into a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) sign pole with such force that it pushed the huge sign pole five feet off its foundation.
WSDOT crews assessed the stability of the structure and quickly called for a crane from the Everett maintenance yard to hold up the east end of the weakened sign bridge. Additional crews were called to the scene: Ballinger maintenance, bridge signals, engineering, traffic sign maintenance, Incident Response, and electrical inspection. The plan was to close all northbound lanes of I-5 at 145th Street with a gang-plow configuration of maintenance trucks, bring in a second crane to support the weight of the west end of the bridge, cut the sign apart, safely lower it to the ground with the boom truck, and remove it from the freeway. Everything was going according to plan when crews discovered the sign buckled and was going to require a bit more time.
“I think people wanted to know why we didn’t come back later and remove it at night when there was less traffic. Not only was that a big safety risk, it turned out the wind really picked up, and there is no way we would allow a weak sign bridge to wave in the wind like that,” said Pat Moylan, WSDOT Assistant Maintenance and Operations Engineer.
Media crews covered the tense two-hour closure and gave WSDOT crews big high fives for a job well done. WSDOT informed the public via electronic message signs, highway advisory radio, the 511 driver information system, and live TV and radio reports. WSDOT communications staff also activated the emergency blog page, which linked directly from the Seattle traffic maps on the Web. The blog was updated every 15 minutes throughout the ordeal to allow interested parties to see how the traffic problem was being solved.
top
Update of Projects Under Way
I-5 Federal Way - Nightly lane closures on southbound I-5 will begin on Friday, May 11, as workers overlay bridge decks at SR 18 and S. 336th Street in Federal Way. Crews will close up to three lanes of southbound I-5 nightly from S. 320th Street to State Route 18. During the closures, a fast hardening polyester concrete is being used to resurface the bridges. Crews will need up to 10 nights of dry weather to complete both bridges. The closures will be postponed if rain is in the forecast. Work is part of a widening project on I-5 between S. 320th Street and the Pierce County line, which adds a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane in both directions of the freeway.
SR 99 Everett - Crews began work on May 7 to resurface 2.3 miles of SR 99 from 112th Street SW to I-5 in Everett. The project includes improving guardrail and sidewalks and adding wheelchair ramps. Paving will result in a safer, smoother ride for motorists and will extend the life of the pavement. Pedestrians will also benefit from improved ramps and guardrails.
SR 240 Richland - Construction of the first two-lane roundabout in eastern Washington continues in connection with the SR 240, I-182 to Columbia Center Interchange project. This week, WSDOT closed Steptoe Street from Tapteal Drive to Columbia Park Trail to align the street with one leg of the roundabout. Similar work is planned for Columbia Park Trail leg. The closure allowed crews to safely complete this portion of the work. The SR 240, I-182 to Columbia Center Interchange project improves three miles of SR 240 by adding new lanes and a new bridge across the Yakima River.
top
Announcements
WSDOT Hires Contractor for Major I-5 Repairs South of Downtown Seattle
WSDOT will team up with a Mukilteo contractor on repairs that could mean long delays for drivers heading north into downtown Seattle this August. Crews will pave more than one mile of northbound Interstate 5 and replacing failing bridge expansion joints between Spokane Street and I-90. WSDOT awarded the construction contract on May 4 to Concrete Barrier Inc. for a winning bid of $11,917,777.
These repairs will significantly affect I-5 drivers and transit users, particularly during 19 continuous days of intense construction from August 10 to 29 when crews will close several lanes of northbound I-5 at all times, leaving only two or three lanes open to workday traffic. Although WSDOT is working with the City of Seattle and other local communities, businesses and transit agencies to help keep traffic moving during construction, lengthy backups and significant delays are expected.
New Tacoma Narrows Opening Event Narrowed to Two Dates
Crews have been constructing the new bridge for almost five years, and now WSDOT has narrowed down the date for the new Narrows Bridge opening event to two possible days in July. Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 7, 2007 and Sunday, July 15, 2007.
Why two dates? While the contractor and the crews are working as quickly as possible to open the bridge by July 7, we can’t control Mother Nature. Much of the critical work needed to open the bridge like protective painting, deck waterproofing, and paving require dry weather. With a good spring, we’ll be fine. With rain and mist, it will take a little more time. Please stay tuned on our Web site at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr16narrowsbridge/opening/ as we continue to check the work schedule and count down to bridge opening.
WSDOT Selects Operators for Eastern Washington Railroad
WSDOT selected US Rail Partners Ltd. and Washington and Idaho Railway Inc. as the operators of two branches of the Palouse River Coulee City (PCC) railroad. WSDOT will oversee operations of the PCC freight railroad starting June 1. To ensure continued operations, WSDOT solicited proposals in March from qualified companies to operate and maintain the rail lines.
The PCC is a 300-mile freight rail system, the second largest system in the state, providing local service to over 70 rail-dependent companies and serving hundreds of eastern Washington farmers. The three branches of the railroad are the PV Hooper line from Hooper to Thornton and Pullman, the CW line from Coulee City to Cheney and Spokane, and the P&L line from Marshall to Pullman.
The state of Washington expects to finalize the purchase of the railroad from Watco later this month. The state’s ownership of the PCC railroad will provide a unique opportunity to create a viable, competitive railroad system that will serve Washington farmers and manufacturers for years to come. As part of the agreement, Watco will continue to operate the PV Hooper line, but will no longer operate the other two branches after May 31.
top
Gray Notebook Highlight - Wetland Replacement Monitoring
WSDOT replaces wetlands to address the state's executive order that mandates the actions of state agencies shall not result in a net loss of wetlands. When transportation projects create unavoidable wetland impacts, we enhance, restore, create, or preserve wetlands to achieve this no net loss policy. We then monitor these areas to evaluate their success. It can take years for a site to mature and become self-sustaining based on the standards set by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. WSDOT initiated monitoring on seven new replacement sites in 2006, totaling 28 acres. As of December 2006, WSDOT had 137 replacement wetland sites totaling 749 acres. Details on this topic and other key issues can be found in the December 2006 Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
top
Upcoming May Open Houses, Meetings, and Events
15 - Tuesday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Washington State Transportation Commission Local Meeting - Stevenson: The Transportation Commission will meet with city, county and state officials, business interests, and transportation providers to share information about regional transportation needs. Location: Skamania Lodge, 1131 SW Skamania Lodge Way, Stevenson.
17 - Thursday, 9:30 - 11 a.m., Ferry Advisory Committee Meeting - Anacortes: The Anacortes Ferry Advisory Committee will hold their quarterly meeting. Meetings are open to the public. Location: Flounder Bay Cafe, 2201 Skyline Way, Anacortes.
17 - Tuesday, 2 - 3:30 p.m., Ferry Advisory Committee Meeting - San Juans: The San Juans Ferry Advisory Committee will hold their quarterly meeting. Meetings are open to the public. Location: Lopez Community Center, 204 Village Road, Lopez Island.
17 - Thursday, 5 - 8 p.m., Open House, US 395 Hastings Road Intersection - Spokane: WSDOT staff will hold an open house to share information about the US 395 improvements at the Hastings Road Intersection construction and project schedule. The public is invited to ask questions, view display,s and provide input to project team members. Location: Mead High School "Mall", 302 West Hastings Road, Spokane.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Weekly Report Archive
top