Project of the Week - Two Major Spokane Area I-90 Projects Wrap Up Ahead of Schedule
Newly resurfaced I-90 lanes through downtown Spokane are nearly ready for traffic, with one more set of lane stripes to put in place. |
Contractors for WSDOT are finishing two major Spokane area projects ahead of schedule and on budget.
The big job, a two-season project to resurface a 1.7-mile section of Interstate 90 in downtown Spokane, will finish two weeks earlier than planned. Spokane area drivers really stepped up to help this project along. Over the two construction seasons, no collisions were reported within the narrow “chutes” in downtown Spokane. Westbound traffic was moved onto the new concrete on July 31. All work on the freeway will be done by the morning commute of Monday, August 6th.
Two Spokane-area firms combined to tackle this major project. Degerstrom/Acme Joint Venture handled the work over the last two seasons. Because of the tremendous traffic impacts to Interstate 90 and downtown Spokane Streets the contractors were given an incentive to complete the work as quickly as possible while still maintaining a safe environment for their workers and the motoring public. The contractors will earn a $50,000 incentive bonus for finishing 15 days early.
The work to resurface Sullivan Road between Mission Avenue and Indiana Avenue in the Spokane Valley was completed on July 27, three days ahead of schedule. The existing asphalt pavement was replaced with Portland Cement Concrete Pavement in a fast-paced project that is a part of the I-90/Sullivan Road Interchange.
Sullivan Road was fully closed from just north of the Mission Avenue intersection to just south of Indiana Avenue. This included the bridge across the freeway. In addition, the eastbound Sullivan Road exit and on-ramp for Interstate 90 was closed. This enabled the contractor to do their work on a fast-track schedule without the need for extensive traffic control. The full closure allowed the job to be performed over a period of a few weeks, avoiding several months of traffic gridlock. Acme Concrete Paving, Inc. of Spokane was the prime contractor on the job. This project also included an incentive of $5,000 per day for early completion.
top
 |
WSDOT's Incident Response Team (IRT) came to the rescue of a semi-truck that lost its load on southbound I-5 near Maytown last Sunday, July 28. The semi lost the adjustable rear axel after it was adjusted, but not locked properly. When the semi braked suddenly, the momentum pulled the unsecured axels out from under the trailer. While the trailer was damaged, the contents remained intact.
IRT members Brian Farrar and Glen Briggs responded to the incident at 4:30 p.m. They worked alongside the Washington State Patrol, and local towing companies to immediately begin clearing the roadway. One lane of southbound traffic was blocked by the set of detached axels. IRT periodically closed the right lane to allow tow trucks to move the axels. Initial back-ups stretched for five miles, but dissipated as IRT members continued to work at the scene. The incident took slightly over 90 minutes to clear because the freight from the damaged trailer needed to be reloaded onto another trailer.
top
Update of Projects Underway
I-5 Marysville - On July 30 crews began taking measurements in the I-5 median in Marysville, one of the first steps toward replacing 10 miles of cable median barrier with concrete barrier next to the northbound lanes . Engineers will use the data gathered from the measurements to begin designing the project and develop a detailed cost estimate for the replacement. As part of the project we will widen the shoulders of I-5 and install a new stormwater drainage system. The survey data will tell us whether we need to purchase additional land for the drainage system and whether the work will affect nearby wetlands, which could affect the total project cost.
I-5 Kelso - A freeway repair project that will result in a safer, smoother driving surface on I-5 in Cowlitz County begins August 9. The project will repairs ruts and provide safety improvements to just over 17 lane miles of I-5, from Woodland to Ostrander Creek, north of Kelso. Ruts which are at least one-half inch deep will be repaired. However, rut repair will not take place in areas that will be paved in the next several years. In addition, guardrail installation, pavement markings, rumble strips, and signing work will be completed. Construction is expected to last through the fall.
US 12 Rochester - On August 2, crews began work on a month-long paving project on US 12 in Thurston County. This paving project will cover a two-mile stretch of US 12 from Joselyn Street SW to I-5 in Rochester. Motorists can expect single-lane, alternating traffic during work hours, and may experience short delays. Crews plan to complete this job by Aug. 28.
SR 20 Lyman - On August 8, WSDOT will close lanes during daylight hours on State Route (SR) 20 near Lyman to pave 11 miles of the highway and make safety improvements. Crews will pave seven miles of highway from the Prevedell Road vicinity to the Pinelli Road vicinity and four miles of SR 20 from Bacon Creek to Damnation Creek. Along with fixing imperfections in the roadway and repaving, crews will install new guardrail at Alder Creek and near Diablo Lake. The project should be complete by mid-September.
SR 20 Rockport - Crews placed roughly 1,000 cubic yards of boulders between SR 20 and the Skagit River to bolster the highway east of Rockport against the high, strong flow of the river. A washout in July left the highway only four feet from the river. The boulders are helping armor the riverbank from the rushing water, keeping the road open for drivers. Crews finished the $50,000 emergency repairs in one week.
 |
The emergency repairs are a short term fix for a chronic problem. Most recently, washouts have threatened SR 20 in 1995, 2004 and 2006. Engineers are developing a design that would slow the flow of water past the bank and direct the river away from it, to reduce erosion. Repairs could cost $2.5 to $5 million, according to early estimates. WSDOT will apply for permits to make those repairs and hope to start construction this fall.
US 101 Lilliwaup - Crews will build a rock wall to stabilize a slope and repair a section of US 101 in Lilliwaup, near milepost 327. The stabilizing project is aimed at keeping drivers safe, preserving the roadway, and preventing future roadblocks and delays. This particular roadside slope in Mason County has been a problem for many years and continues to creep toward the roadway. Work begins Monday, Aug. 6, and is scheduled for completion early next month.
top
Announcements
WSDOT to Fund $1.3 Million in 2007 Airport Improvement Projects
The 2007-2009 biennium is off to a good start with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Aviation awarding $1.3 million in state grants to 44 airports for 88 different projects. Of that $1.3 million, WSDOT is using approximately $219,000 to leverage $8.4 million in federal funds. Airports also contribute a required 2.5% local match to federal funds for their specific projects. Therefore, the combination of state, federal and local match funds brings the grand project total for this round of grants to more than $10 million.
Funding Breakdown
State: $1,334,703.28
Federal: $8,424,799.85
Local Match: $360,927.09
Total: $10,135,155.22
Community Celebrates The Improved Road to Mt. Rainier
After years of planning, WSDOT’s safety improvement project on SR 7, from State Route 512 to the Roy Wye in Pierce County, is complete. July 31, state and local elected-officials gathered with community members and others to celebrate the project’s completion at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
WSDOT engineers began designing safety improvements for this high accident location in the 1990s. In 2004 WSDOT delayed the project an additional year – giving Pierce County the opportunity to secure more funding to build in additional enhancements. Working together with the county, elected officials, Pierce Transit, the Transportation Improvement Board, and local developers, WSDOT was able to build improvements that not only provide a safer route for motorists and pedestrians, but enhance this community.
Members from the Washington State Corridor Program were represented by the Pierce County Sheriff’s office, the Washington State Patrol and Washington Traffic Safety Commission. This project is one of 30 that the safety program identified for funding and brings the program closer to its ‘Target Zero’ goal of zero fatalities or disabling injuries on our highway in 2020.
Crews Building Wetland East of I-405 in Bellevue
In August, crews will begin constructing a wetland at Kelsey Creek Park to provide environmental mitigation for projects along the I-405 corridor. The two-plus acre wetland will be north of the intersection of Richards Road and the Lake Hills Connector east of I-405 in Bellevue. Restoration will include removing about 850 truck and trailer loads of dirt and regrading the area to historic elevations. Crews will plant native vegetation and install standing snags and woody debris to improve habitat. Once construction is complete, the wetland also will improve water quality and help reduce flooding. The wetland restoration is just one of many environmental benefits of the I-405 South Bellevue Widening Project .
top
Gray Notebook Highlight - Cross Cutting Management Issues - Hot Mix Asphalt
WSDOT tracks both the projected and awarded amounts of hot mix asphalt (HMA) so that asphalt-producing contractors can better anticipate future HMA needs, and so that we can measure the accuracy of our estimation processes. Our HMA forecast projected that from October 1, 2006 through March 31, 2007, 51 projects would be awarded a combined total of 833,677 tons of HMA. Actual totals at the end of March were 44 projects with 532,695 tons of HMA, 36 percent less than projected. Delayed projects accounted for the reduced amount of HMA awarded in the six-month period. Many of these projects have been advertised. WSDOT anticipates that it's original estimate of 1,297,601 tons of HMA will be awarded by the end of September 2007. Details on this topic and other key issues can be found in the March 2007 Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
top
August Upcoming Open Houses, Meetings and Events
19 - 22, Sunday through Wednesday - Public Transportation Conference and Expo - Vancouver, WA: "Expanding Our Horizons" is the theme of this year's public transportation conference, bringing together public transportation providers, planners and advocates. Location: Hilton Hotel and Convention Center, 301 West Sixth Street, Vancouver, WA.
22 - Wednesday, 6 - 8 p.m., Open House, Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project - Seattle: WSDOT project team members will provide information and ask for feedback on electrical line relocation work and other construction activities in Seattle's Pioneer Square this coming fall. Location: Pioneer Square, Grand Central Arcade, Seattle.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Weekly Report Archive
top