Project of the Week- Transportation Agencies Join Forces to Ease Airport Traffic Jams
WSDOT's SR 518 Project Team join Gov. Chris Gregoire to celebrate the beginning of construction. |
Getting home after a long flight into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport soon will be easier with a WSDOT project getting under way. Crews are beginning major roadwork to add a third lane to eastbound
State Route (SR) 518 from the North Airport Expressway to the I-5/I-405 interchange. They also will rebuild and create more space between two on-ramps from the Expressway and International Boulevard to reduce backups and ease merging onto SR 518.
Meanwhile, another WSDOT airport-access project is breaking ground at the
SR 518/SR 509 interchange. Heavily used by freight traffic, the interchange is about to undergo a face lift that will make it safer by adding new landscaping, signs and traffic signal revisions. Between 2001 and 2004, there were 131 collisions at the interchange. Traffic planners say the new design will reduce the number of traffic collisions at the intersection.
“Our job is to deliver these projects on time and on budget,” Interim Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond said Wednesday (October 10) at a construction kick-off event. “We are working hard to make getting to the airport faster and easier.” Hammond joined Gov. Chris Gregoire, Sen. Patty Murray and representatives from Sound Transit and the Port of Seattle at the new
Sound Transit Link light rail station overlooking SR 518 on International Boulevard. The event highlighted a joint endeavor among these three agencies to improve trips to and from the airport.
“Far too often traveling to and from Sea-Tac can be a very trying experience,” Gregoire said. “That’s why we’re rapidly moving together on several fronts to speed up travel and improve safety to and from Sea-Tac, which is one the region’s most important economic engines with business revenue of $10 billion a year.”
The Port of Seattle is contributing up to $10 million to the SR 518 project. Funding also will include federal grants totaling $4.8 million and $22 million from the 2005 state gas tax. The total estimated cost is $33.8 million. The project is scheduled to be complete and open to traffic in fall 2009.
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Incident of the Week - WSDOT Assists with Traffic Control During Police Activity
On October 9 at approximately 9:55 a.m., a vehicle was involved in a hit-and-run collision in Hayden, Idaho. At first, the Post Falls, Idaho Police Department gave chase, but terminated for safety reasons. The driver then continued onto westbound Interstate 90 and crossed the state line into Washington.
The driver exited the freeway at the Evergreen Road Interchange in Spokane, driving westbound on Indiana Avenue where the Washington State Patrol (WSP) continued the pursuit. WSP troopers also terminated that effort for safety reasons when the suspects ran a red light. At the Pines Road Interchange, the suspects entered the freeway again proceeding westbound in the eastbound lanes. According to WSP, Spokane County Sheriffs Deputies had slowed eastbound I-90 traffic in the vicinity of the Broadway Interchange, when the suspects collided with an eastbound vehicle at about 10:15 a.m. The collision resulted in non-life threatening injuries and fire and ambulance crews were dispatched to the scene. The three suspects fled on foot and were apprehended and taken into custody by the Spokane County Sheriff's Department.
WSDOT's Incident Response and maintenance techs assisted with traffic control on I-90. Eastbound traffic was diverted off the freeway onto Broadway Avenue and Appleway Blvd. The Spokane Traffic Management Center advised freeway motorists of the incident using variable message signs and highway advisory radio messages. City of Spokane Valley crews operated traffic signals manually at two locations on Broadway Avenue and Appleway Blvd. to regulate the diverted traffic. Crews were able to open one lane of eastbound I-90 at around noon with all lanes open at 12:30 p.m.
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Update of Projects Under Way
SR 16 Tacoma - WSDOT bridge engineers reopened SR 16 at Nalley Valley following inspection of the viaduct after a large fire and explosion near the structure. WSDOT shut down eastbound SR 16 at Union Avenue, and all access to westbound SR 16 from I-5 at approximately 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 6. WSDOT Engineers examined the bridge deck in both directions late Saturday evening, but had to wait until Sunday afternoon, when fire officials determined they could safely enter the area beneath the structure to inspect the bridge piers. The Nalley Valley Viaduct, which was closed for 11 hours carries about 131,000 vehicles a day.
SR 17 Moses Lake - A ribbon was cut October 8 on a $15.5 million project that expanded the last three mile, two lane segment of SR 17 in Moses Lake to four lanes between the Port of Moses Lake and Interstate 90. The project not only improves safety, but also highway service for freight haulers and shippers. There are 900 acres of quickly developing industrial property located at the airport three miles north of the project and another 350 acres just east of the project in the Wheeler Industrial Corridor. Construction began last September, paving was complete last month and the last of the noise wall panels will be in place by the end of the month, completing the project.
I-82 & US 12 Yakima - This week, October 8 - 10, WSDOT and our contractor installed cable median barrier on US 12 just west of the Interstate-82/US 12 junction. WSDOT installs barriers in highway median to reduce the risk of severe collisions and to save lives. This year more than 40 miles of cable median guardrail will be installed across Washington to help prevent crossover and head-on accidents.
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Announcements
Governor Gregoire Announces Additional Safety Improvements Coming to US 2
On October 8, Governor Chris Gregoire announced the designation of US 2 as a safety corridor to improve driver safety on the highway. The safety corridor designation means that US 2 is eligible for grant funding for targeted education, engineering and enforcement efforts. During the past decade, WSDOT has invested more than $15 million to improve US 2 west of Stevens Pass. Next spring we’ll begin installing over 40 miles of rumble strips and high visibility permanent striping between Monroe and Stevens Pass. Starting immediately, Washington State Patrol will shift resources, such as motorcycle troopers and the nighttime patrols, to provide additional enforcement on US 2.
Wreckage of Missing Plane Found
Since early Monday, October 8, WSDOT Aviation began operating a search base at the Yakima Airport, in attempt to locate an airplane that had been missing since Sunday night after leaving Boise, Idaho for Shelton, Washington. Sadly, at about 1 p.m. October 9, rescuers confirmed that all 10 people on board the crashed Cessna 208 aircraft were found deceased. Ground teams found the wreckage late Monday night after a day of extensive searching by air and ground.
Participants in the search included WSDOT, Yakima County Search and Rescue, Washington Air Search and Rescue, Tacoma Mountain Rescue, Seattle Mountain Rescue, Pierce County, King County, the Office of Emergency Management, Fort Lewis Rangers and the Red Cross. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are leading the recovery efforts and investigation. A King County helicopter is also assisting with the recovery.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - Construction Cost Trends
Rising cost trends are affecting the highway construction industry and WSDOT is no exception. Since 2004, the construction industry has seen prices spike for materials such as steel, asphalt and concrete. WSDOT uses historical construction cost information and calculates a "Construction Cost Index," which we then compare to the experiences of other western states. The annual growth rate of the construction cost index held steady at about 1.5 percent per year from 1990 through 2001. Beginning in 2002 and continuing through 2005, the growth rate increased to eight percent per year. In 2006, the construction cost index increased 30 percent over 2005 and has jumped another seven percent in the first two quarters of 2007. Details on this topic can be found in the Beige Pages, "Cross Cutting Management Issues" of the June 2007 Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
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October Open Houses, Meetings and Events
13, Saturday, 9:45 a.m., Hard Hat Tour, Alaskan Way Viaduct - Seattle: Join WSDOT for a hard hat tour of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, while it's closed to traffic for the semi-annual inspection. To celebrate the start of the first of the Moving Forward projects to strengthen several column foundations between Columbia Street and Ocellar Way, WSDOT will host a short speaking program at 10 a.m. at the Columbia Street on-ramp. A walking tour of the viaduct will follow at 10:30 a.m. Space is limited and, for safety purposes, children under the age of 12 years will not be allowed on the tour. Location: Columbia Street on-ramp. Tour tickets are required and will be handed out starting at 9:45 a.m. E-mail viaduct@wsdot.wa.gov or call 1-888-IV-LINE for more details.
16, Tuesday, 8:30 - 5 p.m., Local Meeting, Washington State Transportation Commission - Bellingham: As part of the Washington State Transportation Commission’s community outreach efforts, Transportation Commissioners will join with city, county and state officials next week in Bellingham to discuss local and regional transportation needs in Whatcom County. The public is invited to attend and will have an opportunity to address Commission members during a public comment period scheduled for 4:15 p.m. Location: Lakeway Inn & Conference Center, Sehome Conference Room, 714 Lakeway Drive, Bellingham.
17, Wednesday, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Open House, Columbia River Crossing Project - Portland: Columbia River Crossing is a bridge, highway, and public transit project sponsored by the Oregon Department of Transportation and the WSDOT. Learn more about the bridge, transit and highway options being analyzed for I-5 between Vancouver and Portland at an upcoming open house. You can talk with project staff, look at detailed maps, get the latest information about the project and submit your comments. Visit our virtual open house at http://www.columbiarivercrossing.org/ after October 17. Location: Former Hayden Island Yacht Club, 12050 N. Jantzen Drive, Portland, Oregon
18, Thursday, 1 - 2 p.m., Ribbon Cutting, US 12/Attalia Vicinity Four-Laning US 12 - Wallula: WSDOT and the US 12 Coalition will hold an event to celebrate the completion of the US 12 (Phase 3) four-laning project. The project resulted in one lane in each direction for a total of four lanes and added a new bridge crossing over a railway. Location: East Attalia Road, just east of the Boise White Paper Mill, Wallula.
20, Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Open House, Columbia River Crossing Project - Vancouver: Columbia River Crossing is a bridge, highway, and public transit project sponsored by the Oregon Department of Transportation and the WSDOT. Learn more about the bridge, transit and highway options being analyzed for I-5 between Vancouver and Portland at an upcoming open house. You can talk with project staff, look at detailed maps, get the latest information about the project and submit your comments. Visit our virtual open house at http://www.columbiarivercrossing.org/ after October 17. Location: Lincoln Elementary School, 4200 NW Daniels Street, Vancouver, WA.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Weekly Report Archive
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