Project of the Week - SR 4, Coal Creek to I-5 Paving Project Begins
Work to pave and improve SR 4 in Cowlitz County began with removing and replacing old sidewalks and median curb. |
In early June, crews began a project to pave and improve a stretch of
State Route (SR) 4, between Coal Creek and I-5 in Cowlitz County. Work began with removal and replacement of old sidewalks and median curbs. Weather permitting, crews will begin nighttime pavement repair during the week of June 18.
Through this project, more than seven miles of SR 4 will be paved. This section of highway includes several intersections that have severe rutting from heavy traffic and numerous spots of deteriorating pavement. The pavement along this stretch of highway is beyond its useful life span. While some stretches of SR 4 were last paved in 1990, other areas haven’t been repaved since 1979. When completed, motorists will enjoy a smoother driving surface. Safety improvements will also be made to keep this busy road in working condition. Safety upgrades include bringing sidewalk ramps up to current standards, replacing non-standard guardrail, upgrading median barrier curb, restoring pavement markings and replacing signs. Construction is expected to last through this fall. Lakeside Industries, Inc. of Longview was awarded this $4,923,673 contract.
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Incident of the Week - Interagency Cooperation Key to Tanker Spill Cleanup
Excellent coordination and cooperation between WSDOT and other local agencies helped reopen lanes as soon as possible after a tanker truck carrying 10,000 gallons of fuel caught fire on SR 8 near McCleary at 6 a.m. Saturday, June 9. The driver was able to get out of his vehicle with only a minor hand injury.
All lanes of east and westbound SR 8 were closed after the tanker truck became fully engulfed in flames. WSDOT Incident Response Team (IRT) technician Glenn Briggs arrived on the scene at approximately 6:15 a.m. and assisted the Washington State Patrol who had already closed the road to traffic. Flames spread underneath the highway, through a culvert and set fire to the shoulder alongside the road. The fire was too hot for the McCleary Fire Department to extinguish, so the IRT provided traffic control until the fire had burned itself out at 10 a.m. By letting the petroleum burn, the impact on the local environment was also reduced.
By 10:30 a.m. the IRT was able to open both eastbound lanes, with eastbound traffic using the right lane and westbound traffic re-directed into the left lane. At 5:30 p.m. all lanes were open except for the left westbound lane to allow for further environmental cleanup and removal of debris. The IRT worked together with the Department of Ecology, Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Environmental Protection Agency who were there to address effects on the ecosystem.
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Update of Projects Under Way
SR 31 Metaline Falls - Repair and resurfacing work is wrapping up on the SR 31, Pend Oreille River Bridge project. A temporary signal used to control alternating one-way traffic across the bridge was removed on June 14 and the wide load restrictions was removed on June 15. Flaggers will direct single-lane alternating traffic during work on remaining items.
US 101 Astoria Bridge vicinity - Crews have begun work on a project to pave US 101, SR 4 and SR 104 in Pacific and Wahkiakum counties. US 101 will be paved, beginning at the Astoria Bridge, proceeding northwest to Ilwaco, then northeast where it intersects with SR 4. SR 401 will be resurfaced in Pacific County. Additional improvements will be made to SR 4 in Wahkiakum County such as pavement resurfacing, guardrail and sign replacements where needed, and pavement work. The existing signal at the intersection of US 101 and SR 100 in Ilwaco will also be replaced. A new signal will be installed at the intersection of US Highway 101 and Sandridge road.
SR 305 Poulsbo - Paving started on June 11, marking a major milestone for the State Route 305 widening project. Crews laid asphalt Monday on the west side of SR 305 between Northeast Iverson Road and Northeast Hostmark Street. Construction began in August 2006 on the $14.9 million SR 305 project, which adds lanes, improves five intersections, and builds sidewalks and bike lanes.
SR 532 Stanwood - WSDOT crews recently completed work to improve the signal timing between six traffic signals from Sunrise Boulevard on Camano Island to 72nd Avenue NW in Stanwood, a stretch of about six miles. The signals are now connected to and synchronized via a central computer system allowing them to stay coordinated. This allows WSDOT traffic engineers to monitor traffic flow through cameras and make changes remotely and quickly. Synchronizing the signals through Stanwood is one of eight projects completed or underway on the SR 532. WSDOT will spend more than $91 million in 2003 and 2005 Gas Tax Funds to improve safety and reduce congestion on this corridor.
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Announcements
WSDOT/WSF Receives Joint Proposal from Puget Sound Shipyards
Todd Pacific Shipyards, J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation and Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Inc – submitted a joint proposal to build the four new 144-car vessels needed by Washington State Ferries.
“A joint proposal that draws upon the expertise and resources of the major Puget Sound shipyards is the best possible scenario for WSDOT/WSF and the taxpayers of Washington State,” said WSF Executive Director Mike Anderson. “There is still a lot of work to do to get from a joint proposal to construction, but we are moving in the right direction. WSDOT/WSF is committed to getting high quality vessels built as soon as possible on the best possible terms for the people of Washington.”
SR 167 HOT Lanes Project Moving Forward
A project that will allow solo drivers to pay a toll to use the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on SR 167 drew a step closer this week. WSDOT awarded a contract to Signal Electric, Inc. of Kent for a competitive bid of $7 million to build the SR 167 HOT Lanes Pilot Project, which will convert nine miles of SR 167 HOV to high occupancy toll lanes (HOT) between Renton and Auburn. There are no toll booths. To use the lanes, solo drivers will need a pre-paid Good To Go! account, and a transponder mounted on their windshields. Tolls will be debited from their accounts electronically upon entry. Good To Go! transponders are also valid at the new Narrows Bridge in Tacoma, which opens to traffic in July. Construction on the SR 167 HOT lanes project begins in mid-July, and lanes open to traffic in the spring of 2008.
M/V Hiyu Comes Out of Deep Reserve
Rudder problems with the M/V Rhododendron on June 12, took the ferry out service on the Point Defiance/Tahlequah route. The Rhododendron will await available dry dock space at Eagle Harbor maintenance facility until late in the week of June 18. To replace this vessel, WSF took the M/V Hiyu out of deep reserve where it has been in lay-up at Eagle Harbor for the past decade. The Hiyu has been maintained to United States Coast Guard certification for the past ten years. The Hiyu has not been in active service due to its limited size: compared to the Rhododendron which takes 60 vehicles, the Hiyu can carry only 34 cars and 200 passengers. The last route that the Hiyu was used on was the inter-island route in the San Juan Islands in 1996-1997.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - Project Delivery for Pre-Existing Funds
The latest Gray Notebook includes the first report on the progress of Pre-Existing Funds projects by program category. Unlike the Nickel and Transportation Partnership Account projects, which are set by the legislature with a line-item budget for each project, the Pre-Existing Funds projects are funded at the program level. The 2005-2007 Highway Construction Program includes a commitment to advertise 313 Pre-Existing Funds projects. There were 276 advertisements planned through the quarter ending March 31, 2007. In those six quarters, 279 projects were advertised. Of the 276 scheduled, 15 projects were delayed to future quarters of this biennium, 34 were deferred to future biennia and seven projects were deleted. These projects represent engineer's estimates of $331 million, and $345.6 million in total awards. Details on this subject and other key issues can be found in the March 2007 Gray Notebook at www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
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June Upcoming Open Houses, Meetings and Events
19 - Tuesday, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Outreach Meeting, Washington State Transportation Commission - Walla Walla: The Washington State Transportation Commission will meet with local officials to share information about local and regional transportation issues. The public is invited to participate and address the Commission during the public comment period. Location: Port of Walla Walla, Community Meeting Room, 45 Terminal Loop Road, Walla Walla.
25 - Monday, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Public Meeting, Updated Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan - Vancouver: Community members are invited to join WSDOT staff to talk about the state's long-range plan for bicycle and pedestrian facilities. WSDOT is seeking comments and feedback on needs related to sidewalks, crosswalks, trails, and bike lanes. Location: Public Service Center, Elections Office, 1305 Franklin (at Mill Plain), Vancouver, WA.
26 - Tuesday, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Public Meeting, Updated Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan - Seattle: Community members are invited to join WSDOT staff to talk about the state's long-range plan for bicycle and pedestrian facilities. WSDOT is seeking comments and feedback on needs related to sidewalks, crosswalks, trails, and bike lanes. Location: University of Washington, Gould Hall - First Floor Foyer, Seattle.
27 - Wednesday, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Public Meeting, Updated Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan - Spokane: Community members are invited to join WSDOT staff to talk about the state's long-range plan for bicycle and pedestrian facilities. WSDOT is seeking comments and feedback on needs related to sidewalks, crosswalks, trails, and bike lanes. Location: Spokane City Council Chambers, 808 W. Spokane Falls Boulevard, Spokane.
28 - Thursday, 3 - 7 p.m., Open House, US 395 North Spokane Corridor - Spokane: WSDOT's Project Team will hold an informational open house to provide an update of the North Spokane Corridor project. Location: East Central Community Center, 500 South Stone, Spokane.
28 - Thursday, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Public Meeting, Updated Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan - Olympia: Community members are invited to join WSDOT staff to talk about the state's long-range plan for bicycle and pedestrian facilities. WSDOT is seeking comments and feedback on needs related to sidewalks, crosswalks, trails, and bike lanes. Location: Thurston Regional Planning Council, 2424 Heritage Court SW, Suite A, Olympia.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Weekly Report Archive
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