Project of the Week - New I-405 Lanes in Kirkland Open On-Time and On-Budget
With more I-405 projects on the horizon, Project Director Kim Henry checks off the I-405 Kirkland Nickel Stage 1 Project as completed on time and on budget. |
Governor Chris Gregoire officially opened new lanes and an improved interchange on
I-405 in Kirkland on Tuesday (October 30), thanking area residents for their patience and support. The project includes one new lane in each direction of I-405 between NE 85th and NE 124th Streets; three wetland restoration sites; an improved fish-passable culvert under I-405 at Forbes Creek; and three new noise walls. Crews widened the NE 116th Street bridge structure to accommodate the new highway lanes, along with future interchange and pedestrian improvements at NE 116th Street.
Drivers traveling through Kirkland will be able to drive at faster speeds and with greater safety along I-405 between NE 85th and NE 124th Streets. The Kirkland Nickel Stage 1 Project increases highway capacity by one-third, allowing travelers to move through the “Kirkland Crawl” more quickly.
On I-405, there are three Nickel projects in Renton, Bellevue and Kirkland. The Kirkland Nickel Stage 1 Project is the first of the three to be completed, and projects in Bellevue and Renton are currently under construction. WSDOT plans to make additional improvements to I-405 from NE 70th to SR 522 north of Bothell beginning in 2009 with the funded SR 520 to I-5 Widening project.
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Incident of the Week - I-90 Bridge Takes a Hit, WSDOT Crews Take it Out
An over-height load hit this overpass on eastbound I-90 at Easton on Snoqualmie Pass. WSDOT removed this damaged portion of the bridge within 24 hours. |
Within 24 hours of an over-height load raking and ruining the underside of an overpass bridge on I-90 at Easton, WSDOT had the damaged portion of the structure removed and eastbound lanes reopened. The incident occurred at 4 a.m. on Wednesday, October 31, when an over-height load hit the overpass, forcing WSDOT crews to close bridge for safety. WSDOT Bridge engineers who rushed to the scene determined at 1 p.m. the bridge was not safe for travel on or under, and that it needed to come down. A demolition team was quickly assembled from across the state including WSDOT structural engineers and a Tacoma contractor, R.W. Rhine. Crews and equipment were pulled from other jobs to complete the 12-hour emergency demo work at Snoqualmie Pass.
While demolition work continued throughout the night, WSDOT Maintenance crews kept eastbound I-90 traffic moving past the closure on a single lane by directing drivers off I-90 at exit 71, around the bridge, and back to the freeway using the on-ramp. This kept delays to travelers limited to about five minutes and backups to approximately three miles. The demo was completed, the mess cleaned up, and the lanes reopened by 3:45 a.m. Thursday.
"We had to get those lanes open fast," said Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond. "Interstate 90 is our most heavily traveled east-west corridor. No one can afford to have it shut down for any length of time. Now I've challenged our engineers to get creative - to get this bridge replaced as quickly and efficiently as possible."
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Update of Projects Underway
I-90 Snoqualmie Pass - WSDOT crews have installed a short test section of fence along the eastbound lanes near I-90 just west of Hyak. This work will help determine the best methods for designing wildlife crossings in the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project .
I-405 Bellevue - Next week, drivers may notice columns rising out of the ground as crews working for WSDOT build the new I-405 bridge over I-90. Crews will also repair pavement on northbound and southbound I-405 in South Bellevue; work to widen the Coal Creek Parkway bridge; perform electrical work; and plant native plants at the restored wetland at Kelsey Creek Park.
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Announcements
A New Traffic Camera Added for Stevens Pass
New traffic camera images are available on the WSDOT web site for the summit of Stevens Pass. While an east view of US 2 at the summit has been available for nearly a decade, the new camera provides a view to the west. Included in the new west view is the entrance to Stevens Pass Ski Area parking. The entire installation cost approximately $10,000, far less than a typical traffic camera installation. Stevens Pass Ski area allowed installation of the camera on the lodge building (at no cost), agreed to provide the electricity for its operation and assisted in the construction. The traffic cameras at the Stevens Pass summit assist WSDOT and the Washington State Patrol to operate the roadway most efficiently by monitoring wintertime traffic volumes and conditions.
The Iron Goat Interpretive Site Closes for Winter
The Iron Goat Interpretive Site, six miles west of the US 2 Stevens Pass summit closed for the winter on November 1. The only electricity on site is a solar system to power lighting at the rest room facilities. Snow and winter temperatures don’t allow operation of the rest rooms or the solar system. There are wintertime public rest room facilities available at the summit. 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 that remain open to the public.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Network
The Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Network (CVISN) helps freight trucks move more efficiently and safely throughout Washington. CVISN uses weigh-in-motion scales to electronically screen trucks as they approach a weigh station. Scales, embedded in the roadway, weigh the truck while a transponder reader sends a signal to a computer in the weigh station. The signal carries the trucks registration, weight, and safety record. The computer verifies the information and sends a signal back to the truck's transponder. If all checks are satisfactory, the windshield mounted transponder displays a green light and the truck driver can bypass the station. If a truck needs to be inspected a red light is displayed. As of 2006, 20 percent of all trucks moving through the state had CVISN transponders, and received 948,000 green lights. With an estimated average of five minutes per stop at a weigh station, this saved approximately 79,000 hours of travel time in 2006. More details on this topic and other key issues can be found in the June 2007 Gray Notebook at www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability .
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November Meetings and Events
7, Wednesday, 5 - 8 p.m., Open House, SR 410 Additional Lanes and Signal - Buckley: WSDOT project staff will provide an update of the SR 410 project which will add new lanes between 214th and 234th avenues. The project includes a traffic signal and new traffic patterns at the split intersection of 233rd and 234th avenues. Location: Foothills Elementary School, Multi-purpose room, 10621 234th Avenue East, Buckley.
8, Thursday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Conference, Washington State Resilient Freight Systems - SeaTac: All levels of government have given attention to preventive security and incident response activities, but what planning has been given to recovery after disruptions? Long-term effects of poor economic recovery could dwarf the initial impact of the incident itself. WSDOT commissioned the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics to create a process that Washington State will use to develop resilient freight systems. Join transportation freight professionals for an interactive discussion of research findings and help develop a statewide freight system resiliency plan. Location: Holiday Inn SeaTac, 17338 International Boulevard, SeaTac. Registration: http://www.seattlecscmp.org/.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Weekly Report Archive
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