Project of the Week - SR 240, I-182 to Columbia Boulevard
Tri-Cities drivers now have six lanes to travel between Richland and Kennewick plus an additional auxiliary lane. |
On Wednesday May 23, WSDOT and the contractor opened the westbound lanes on SR 240, completing the (additional lanes) portion of this important project. Tri-Cities drivers now have six lanes to travel between Richland and Kennewick plus an additional auxiliary lane between George Washington Way and the Richland Wye to relieve congestion on this busy commuter route. The project will save travel time for auto and vanpool commuters and expand the bicycle corridor.
The SR 240 - Tri-Cities Additional Lanes project improves three miles of SR 240 by adding new lanes, a new bridge across the Yakima River and the first two-lane roundabout east of the Cascades.
This project won an environmental award of excellence for the Amon Creek Mitigation Site that will better connect wildlife habitat underneath the new SR 240 Yakima River Bridge. Bicycle enthusiasts are excited about the new connections to the bike trail system including the Sacagewea Heritage Trail.
This highway improvement was largely funded through the 2003 Transportation "Nickel" Package and is expected to be complete this summer.
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Incident of the Week - IRT Helps Clear Blazing Truck for Morning Commuters
WSDOT's Chehalis Area Incident Responder Randy Bateman was alerted to a jack-knifed semi-truck on I-5 Southbound at the SR 506 interchange Friday, May 18 around 7 a.m. Randy headed to the scene of the incident and on arrival coordinated with the Washington State Patrol (WSP), local Fire Department and emergency services to provide immediate assistance.
Randy ensured that all safety and traffic control procedures were in place, as the Fire Department began putting out a blaze that engulfed the jack-knifed semi-truck. Emergency crews closed the southbound right lane of I-5 for approximately 30 minutes while cleaning up the scene.
Even though Exit 59 to the SR 506 interchange remained closed for a period of time for additional clean-up, crews were able to quickly re-open all lanes of traffic on I-5 to clear the roadway for early morning commuters.
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Update of Projects Under Way
SR 3 Bremerton - On May 21, crews began a paving project on State Route (SR) 3 at the SR 304 interchange and on the portion of SR 310 (Kitsap Way) from the vicinity of Weslon Place to Callow Avenue in Bremerton. This $1.5 million project also upgrades guardrail and pedestrian access at intersections along SR 310. Paving operations on SR 310 are expected to begin in early June and will take place at night in order to minimize business impacts.
SR 20 Sherman Pass - Contractor crews began work on May 21 on a 14-mile section of SR 20, Sherman Pass, in Ferry County. This resurfacing project will grind out about two inches of the existing driving lane surface and replace it with a new asphalt layer. The existing shoulders will remain. The project should be fully completed by late August. Central Washington Asphalt of Moses Lake is the prime contractor on this project with a construction bid of $2.975 million.
SR 165 Carbonado - A project is under way to upgrade guardrails and barriers on and near the SR 165 Carbon River Bridge (mileposts 11.02 – 13.06), south of Carbonado. Work includes replacing several outdated guardrails and cable guardrails with new beam guardrail, concrete barrier and crash-worthy terminals. Also, the non-standard, wood bridge-rails will be upgraded to meet existing standards.
US 395 Spokane - Work on the next major component of the North Spokane Freeway is slated to start on May 29. The project, US 395 North Spokane Corridor/Freya to Fairview Vicinity-Grading and Structures, consists of building two new bridges for the freeway, crossing Gerlach Road and Lincoln Road, and grading out the freeway configuration from Freya Street, just north of Francis, to the vicinity of Fairview Road. Steelman Duff Construction of Clarkston is the prime contractor on this project with a construction bid of $10.57 million. The job is expected to take two construction seasons to complete, wrapping up in 2008. This project is the fourth of eight jobs for the US 395/North Spokane Corridor freeway project.
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Announcements
Safety and Security at WSF is Going High Tech, Thanks to Department of Homeland Security
Washington State Ferries, in a partnership with the Homeland Security Institute, installed new, high-tech monitors on the ferries M/V Tacoma and M/V Wenatchee, as well as at Colman Dock (Pier 52) and the Anacortes Terminal.
A pilot test kicked off on May 24 with a morning event at Colman Dock. Representatives from WSF, Homeland Security Institute, Washington State Patrol and the United States Coast Guard were on hand at Colman Dock for media availability. Various agency representatives were onboard the M/V Wenatchee and M/V Tacoma to answer passenger questions about the new system. Several new passenger safety and security videos debuted, along with a new passenger security brochure and posters.
The pilot test is scheduled to run through the end of September. If successful, the monitors could become a permanent fixture on some WSF vessels. The monitors are part of the Ferry Passenger Partnership Program, which is designed to educate and engage ferry passengers and public safety professionals by raising awareness of safety and security precautions and procedures. The system will also provide real-time messaging using Internet-based media controllers to present information such as security updates, current road and traffic conditions, weather forecasts, Amber Alerts, delays in departures or arrival times, and sailing schedules.
US 2 Iron Goat Interpretive Site Opens for the Season
The Iron Goat Interpretive Site, just west of Stevens Pass, opened to motorists and hikers on May 21 in time for the Memorial Day Holiday. The new facility, six miles west of the summit, off US 2, opened last October with a ribbon cutting ceremony and closed three weeks later due to snow. The November and December storms damaged trails and the interpretive site. Temporary repairs have been completed. The parking and rest room facilities are open. The trails are passable for hikers, but the wheelchair accessible trail from the site is open for only the first one-half mile, until permanent slide damage can be repaired later this summer. The Iron Goat Trail is located on old, abandoned Great Northern Railroad right of way. There are two other trailheads along this nine-mile section at Martin Creek and at Wellington.
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May Upcoming Open Houses, Meetings and Events
29 - Tuesday, 11 a.m., Ribbon Cutting, I-405 Bothell / Canyon Park Freeway Station Project - Bothell: Sound Transit will host an event to mark the opening of the new bus flyer stop. The new facility is on the ramp from northbound SR 527 to southbound I-405 and includes a new pedestrian bridge over I-405. Location: Canyon Park - Park and Ride lot, 22400 17th Avenue SE, Bothell.
30 - Wednesday, 10 - 11 a.m., Ribbon Cutting, US 12 - 40th Avenue Interchange Improvements - Yakima: WSDOT, the City of Yakima and TRANS-Action will ceremoniously cut a ribbon to signify the completion of the first Transportation Partnership Act project in Yakima. Location: Lakeside Business Park, NE corner of Fruitvale Boulevard and North 40th Avenue.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Weekly Report Archive
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