Project of the Week - Work Begins on Critical Bridge on Mount Baker Highway
WSDOT Engineer Jeff Peterson walks under existing Boulder Creek Bridge which is so low, he can't even stand up under it. |
Drivers don’t often realize that some of our most important work is in places most people rarely see. Such is the case with the new Boulder Creek bridge replacement project on Mount Baker Highway (SR 542) east of Maple Falls which starts this week.
This 55-year-old, 22-foot-wide bridge is the only way over Boulder Creek for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, horses and truck traffic. And everyone who wants to get to the town of Glacier, Artist Point or the Mt. Baker Ski area needs to cross it. The problem is every year, water, mud, sticks and rock tumble off Mount Baker, build up under the bridge and turn the bridge into an impassable mess that eats up valuable maintenance crew time.
This week, construction begins on a new 42-foot-wide bridge that will have 4-foot shoulders and a 10-foot wide path solely dedicated to pedestrians, cyclists and horses. The path will be physically separated from traffic by a barrier. It a first step in the future Bay to Baker trail. Of course, the new bridge will be much higher to prevent the annual migration of rocks, mud and sticks.
“This new bridge will allow drivers to get in and out of Glacier during the winter, skiers to get to the Mount Baker Ski area, give recreation users safe passage across Boulder Creek and let our valuable maintenance crews get to other important work,” said Jeff Peterson, WSDOT Engineer.
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Incident of the Week - US 2
WSDOT crews remove an a semi-truck from US 2 near Index. The truck crashed into the Skykomish river Monday, June 18. Photo Courtesy Michael O'Leary, Everett Herald |
A semi-truck loaded with apples and cherries collided with a jersey barrier in the opposite lane late Monday night and left the roadway on US 2 near Index. The momentum carried the truck over the barrier, down a 150-foot rocky embankment and into the Skykomish River. The Washington State Patrol responded to the scene and called for divers from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s office. They discovered the driver was deceased in his cab.
Alternating traffic was allowed in the westbound lane until 4:30 a.m., when heavy equipment arrived to remove the wreckage from the water and rockery. US 2 was blocked in both directions while crews from Area 3 Maintenance, led by supervisor Cecil Rench, worked hard to clear the debris. It was no easy task. Most of the truck was completely submerged. Three large crane trucks plucked the totaled cab and huge chunks of wreckage from the water and embankment and loaded them onto two lowboy trailers.
After most of the debris was removed at about 1:00 Tuesday afternoon, one lane of alternating traffic was allowed through the scene to help relieve the backup that had formed on either side. Crews then worked to remove the boxes of apples and cherries that littered the embankment. Once that was done, both lanes of traffic reopened at about 2:30 p.m.
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Update of Projects Under Way
US 12 Montesano - Paving began this week on US 12 in Grays Harbor County. This paving project stretches six miles on US 12 between the Wynoochee River Bridge and the Brady area. Crews will also install rumble strips to improve safety on a 13-mile stretch of US 12 between the Wynoochee River Bridge and SR 8 (East Elma interchange). Work this week will required closing the westbound US 12 on- and off-ramps to State Route 107 overnight for pavement repairs and other preparation work for the pavement overlay.
SR 16 Tacoma - Crews are preparing SR 16 for a coordinated opening of high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes on both sides of the Narrows. The work will require night single-lane closures on both sides of the bridge as crews remove the yellow inside stripe and replace it with an eight-inch solid white stripe, which delineates an HOV lane. They will also paint HOV diamonds in the lane and install HOV signs along the corridor. The lane will remain closed to traffic until the new bridge opens in mid-July.
SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge - WSDOT and its contractor, Kiewit-General of Poulsbo, launched the final 10 new Hood Canal Bridge anchors on June 20. Each anchor is two-stories tall and weighs nearly 2.5 times the Space Needle. Completing these final 10 anchors and floating them to Port Gamble Bay is an important project milestone leading up to the May-June 2009 bridge closure and replacement.
SR 508 Cinebar – Limited openings of SR 508 at Bear Canyon begin June 25. The road was closed in early November 2006, when heavy rains contributed to the severely unstable slope to fail. Construction to repair the severely damaged roadway began April 23. The highway is being rebuilt by constructing a wall that is more that 450 feet long and is being re-established in its original alignment. The highway will open Monday through Saturday mornings from 6 to 8 a.m., and in the evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. The highway will remain open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. This emergency repair project is expected to be complete late July.
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Announcements
WSDOT Slows Down Traffic on I-5, in SR 502 Interchange Construction Zone
Beginning June 22, WSDOT revised the speed limit in the I-5, SR 502 Interchange vicinity in Clark County. The variable speed limit revision, lowering the speed limit as needed for construction, will take place in the work zone limits. The work zone is from just north of the Fairgrounds/ NE 179th Street Exit (milepost 9.5) to the McCarty Road overpass (milepost 12.3.)
A number of collisions have occurred where motorists are required to merge, making the speed limit revision necessary. The majority of collisions have occurred when motorists failed to change lanes in advance, where lanes are reduced from three to two. Signs alerting drivers of the need to change lanes are placed one mile in advance of the lane closure. The speed limit revision will last through the duration of the project, scheduled for completion in 2009.
Expanded Traveler Information at Border Gives Drivers More Options
For drivers headed to Canada, the wait at the border may not be over, but at least they'll know how long it's going to be. WSDOT will install 10 new cameras and traffic detecting equipment at Blaine, Lynden and Sumas, three of Whatcom County's four busy border crossings. The new equipment will allow WSDOT to broadcast more border information and wait times on roadside signs, radios and the Web, taking the guesswork out of choosing the quickest border crossing. Crews started construction on June 21 and will finish in September 2007.
New cameras will be turned on along:
I-5 at Peace Arch
I-5 at D Street (2 cameras)
I-5 at Mitchell Avenue
I-5 at Odell Road
I-5 south of Odell Road
I-5 at Loomis Trail Road
SR 539 at Badger Road (SR 546)
SR 539 at border
SR 9 at Front Street
The new cameras will be accessible via the WSDOT border Web page – http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/border/– by the end of summer.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - Safety Rest Areas Annual Update
WSDOT's safety rest area program began in 1967, and most of Washington's facilities were built under a federal program in the late 1960's. Safety rest areas provide travelers with a place to rest and refresh, making their trips more safe and pleasant. WSDOT owns, operates and maintains 42 rest areas: 27 on interstate highways and 15 on state highways. WSDOT has calculated that 21.5 million people visited these safety rest areas in 2006, based on water usage. This is an increase of 200,000 visitors statewide. The Toutle River safety rest areas on I-5 near Kelso continues to be the most visited sites with an estimated 3.3 million visitors in 2006. Other popular facilities are at Indian John Hill on I-90 near Cle Elum (2 million visitors), and the Scatter Creek and Maytown rest areas on I-5 south of Olympia (1.8 million visitors). Details on this topic and other key issues can be found at: www.wa.gov/accountability.
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June Upcoming Open Houses, Meetings and Events
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, 4 - 7 p.m., Open House, SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Project, Bellevue: Project team members are hosting an open house to share information about the SR 520 project, including 4 + 2 corridor - adding HOV lanes; tolling and project funding; west side mediation process, and much more. Location: Bellevue High School, 10416 Wolverine Way, Bellevue.
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, 4 - 7 p.m., Open House, SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Project, Seattle: Project team members are hosting an open house to share information about the SR 520 project, including 4 + 2 corridor - adding HOV lanes; tolling and project funding; west side mediation process, and much more. Location: Stevens Elementary School, 1242 18th Avenue East, Seattle.
28 - Thursday, 4:30 - 7 p.m., Open House, I-5 Rush Road to 13th Street Widening Project, Chehalis: The public is invited to an open house to learn more about I-5 widening and new interchange construction at LaBree Road. Project team members will be on hand to answer questions and displays will be available for viewing. Location: WSDOT Chehalis Area Engineering Office, 1411 Rush Road, Chehalis.
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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