Project of the Week - Emergency culvert repair under way on I-405 in Renton
WSDOT staff examine the sinkhole that formed next to southbound I-405 in Renton after the Dec. 3 storm. |
Drivers should expect congestion on northbound I-405 and northbound SR 167 in Renton through the end of the year as crews replace a culvert that was severely damaged in the Dec. 3 rainstorm.
At 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13, WSDOT closed the right lane of the freeway between SR 167 and SR 169. The lane will be closed around the clock on weekends and 19 hours a day on weekdays for up to two weeks. To keep traffic moving, the right lane will open on weekdays between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. During these morning commute hours, the only carpools, vanpools and transit will be allowed to use the HOV lane. To relieve some congestion, WSDOT and Washington will not enforce the HOV-only restriction between 10 a.m. and 5 a.m., and all drivers may use the northbound HOV through the construction zone during those hours.
To keep traffic moving, WSDOT advises drivers to:
- consider alternate routes
- carpool or use transit
- avoid or consolidate trips
- make arrangements to work from home
Learn about real-time traffic conditions before traveling by visiting the WSDOT Seattle Area Traffic page , calling the 511 traveler info line and listening to radio and television traffic reports.
During the Dec. 3 storm, record-setting rain collapsed a section of the 400 foot-long culvert that carries Thunder Hills Cree underneath I-405. The collapse created sinkhole just 12 feet from the southbound shoulder of I-405 at Benson Road/Main Avenue S. Crews stabilized the sinkhole, but the culvert must be replaced because another significant storm could lead to more damage, possibly leading to a partial or full closure of I-405.
During the two-week closure crews will install a drainage system to divert Thunder Hills creek through a 2,000 foot-long pipeline along the northbound shoulder of I-405, underneath Talbot Road and into a wetland. Once the pipeline is in place crews will install a new culvert underneath the freeway. Fortunately, installing the new culvert will not require daytime lane closures.
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Incident of the Week - I-5 Closure and Reopening Accomplished with Coordination and Teamwork
Maintenance workers clear mud and debris from the closed section of I-5 near Chehalis in preparation for reopening the freeway to traffic. |
Recent flooding and severe high water levels caused WSDOT emergency officials to close Interstate 5 in Thurston and Lewis counties during the week of Dec. 3. Crews initially closed the northbound right lane of I-5 as water levels began to rise in Chehalis. As the heavy rain continued, crews decided it was necessary for the safety of motorists to close I-5, in both directions, over a 20-mile stretch. WSDOT called in the National Guard, Washington State Patrol and of course – WSDOT's Incident Response Team (IRT).
IRT members helped set up advance warning signs and barricades at the closure point within WSDOT's Olympic Region, milepost 88 near Rochester. WSDOT's Southwest Region crews were on the southern end of the closure at milepost 68 near Grand Mound, taking similar actions. IRT members were also stationed at SR 7 at Alder Cut-off Road in Pierce County to greet trucks trying to avoid the long detour route by taking US 12 to SR 7. These truck drivers were politely asked to turn around by the National Guard and WSP unless they met delivery and load criteria. Most of SR 7 is a two-lane road and could not endure the same amount of truck-travel as I-5.
By Wednesday afternoon, I-5 was submerged in over 10 feet of water in places. Once water began receding, crews worked vigorously to repair more than 100 feet of damaged pavement and large sinkholes, as well as loose barrier on the highway. After re-opening the closed portion of I-5 to commercial vehicles on Thursday, Dec. 6, the roadway was reopened to all vehicle traffic on Friday, Dec. 7, a long 75 hours after it had closed.
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Update of Projects Under Way
I-5 Tacoma - On Dec. 8, Pierce County drivers were introduced to several significant changes on Interstate 5 and State Route (SR) 16 in Tacoma. The off-ramp to downtown Tacoma – exit 133 – is now one mile south of its previous location. The new exit is just north of 38th Street and prior to the SR 16 curve. Other changes include a mile-long, four-lane northbound collector-distributor roadway between the Tacoma Mall and Tacoma Dome, a new on-ramp to northbound I-5 from 38th Street (Tacoma Mall), and a new connection from eastbound SR 16 to northbound I-5. This project untangles the weave between SR 16 drivers moving left to get on I-5, and I-5 drivers moving right to get downtown. Eliminating the weave on this stretch of northbound I-5 is expected to reduce collisions by about 75 a year. Work is part of the I-5 HOV Improvements, 48th Street to Pacific Avenue $72.9 million project, scheduled for completion next spring.
SR 96 Snohomish - Work is under way to repair a damaged section of State Route 96 (Seattle Hill Road) and reopen it to traffic. On Dec. 11, crews began working to replace a culvert that failed during the Dec. 3 storms, washing out the ground under the roadway. Crews will excavate the site and remove asphalt to give them the room they need to replace the culvert. They will replace the failed 18-inch pipe with a 10-foot by 5-foot box culvert, which will accommodate larger volumes of water and improve fish passage. In addition to the culvert replacement, they’ll also replace a damaged retaining wall on the downhill side of the road, add a new retaining wall on the uphill side of the road, repave the damaged section of SR 96, replace guardrail and handrail, and repair the drainage system.
SR 530 Darrington - Heavy rain Dec. 3 pushed the Sauk River to near-flood levels, eroding the riverbank and moving the river to within several feet of SR 530 in two locations north of Darrington. Crews will start emergency repairs near Jenkins Lane (between mileposts 59 and 60), and south of the Sauk River Bridge (milepost 56). The work is expected to take less than two weeks in both locations and cost less than $500,000. WSDOT just completed repairs to the section south of the Sauk River Bridge in November. Those repairs saved the road during the latest storms.
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Announcements
Washington State Ferries Announces Holiday Passenger-only Ferry Service between Port Townsend and Seattle
Washington State Ferries (WSF) announced on Dec. 13 immediate changes to the Port Townsend/Keystone passenger-only service and the addition of temporary passenger ferry service between Port Townsend and Seattle. On November 20, the Steel Electric class car ferries that operate on this route were pulled out of service for safety reasons. These are the only ferries capable of carrying cars between Port Townsend and Whidbey Island because of the constraints of Keystone Harbor. Interim passenger service between Port Townsend and Seattle was proposed by Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond after she and WSF executives listened to concerns from the local business community at a meeting in Port Townsend on December 12.
On Dec. 13, WSF began shuttle service between Port Townsend and Seattle. The 149-passenger vessel, Snohomish, will now provide service four times daily between Pier 50 at Colman Dock in Seattle and the Port Townsend Ferry Terminal. Since November 27, the Snohomish has been operating between Port Townsend-Keystone. This service will be available until early-January. While the Snohomish is being used on the Port Townsend/Seattle run, passenger service from Port Townsend to Keystone will be operated by Puget Sound Express, a local Port Townsend company.
Railroad crossing gates scheduled for installation in Mabton at SR 241
Railroad crossing gates will be installed at SR 241 north of SR 22 in Mabton, in early 2008, announced the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved a $20,000 grant to upgrade the warning devices at the railroad crossing in Mabton. WSDOT will provide additional funding to complete the project. The BNSF Railway will complete the installation of the crossing gates. The installation process is projected to begin in early February and will take approximately 30-45 days to complete.
The Mabton crossing currently has “crossbuck” signs and flashing lights installed to warn drivers of approaching trains. Despite the availability of these warning devices, three train-vehicle collisions have occurred at the crossing since 1997 resulting in driver fatalities. In each case, official collision reports recorded that warning signals were functioning properly and that the drivers did not stop for the signals.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - State-Supported Amtrak Cascades
Washington is one of 13 states that provide operating funds to Amtrak for intercity passenger rail service. Amtrak "Cascades" trains travel the 466 miles between Eugene, Oregon, and Vancouver, B.C. using five European-designed "Talgo" trains. Three of the five trains are owned by Washington State, and two are owned by Amtrak. The passenger rail service on this route is jointly funded by Amtrak, Washington, and Oregon. Ridership on the Amtrak "Cascades" was 125,051 in the second quarter of 2007. This represents a 17.6 percent increase over the same period in 2006. A key factor in this ridership increase was more daily departures and more convenient connections since the launch of the fourth round-trip train between Seattle and Portland in July 2006.
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December Ribbon-Cutting Event
17, Monday, 11 a.m., Ribbon-Cutting, Reopening of I-90 Easton Bridge - Easton: Easton community members will join WSDOT officials to celebrate the re-opening of the Easton Bridge across Interstate 90. The bridge was closed after it was struck by an over-height load on October 31. Work to repair the damaged structure began with demolition of the eastern half of the bridge on November 1. Location: Easton Bridge at Exit 71, parking on north side of the bridge.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Weekly Report Archive
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