Project of the week - SR 305 drivers get two new lanes
Crews removed the orange traffic cones on Jan. 25, opening SR 305's new peak-traffic period HOV lanes in Poulsbo. |
WSDOT added some elbow room for drivers who travel State Route (SR) 305 through the heart of Poulsbo in Kitsap County. On Friday night, Jan. 25, a two-mile stretch of SR 305 went from two lanes to four. The right lanes in both directions will be designated high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes Monday through Friday during peak commute times. That means vehicles carrying two or more people can use the lanes from 6 to 8 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m.
Additional northbound and southbound lanes through Poulsbo should ease congestion, help buses stay on schedule, and make it easier for emergency vehicles to get where they need to go. WSDOT will monitor the efficiency of the new HOV lanes and this stretch of SR 305 with respect to travel times, violation rates, congestion levels and other factors – and make changes as needed based on the data collected. Arterial HOV lanes on Seattle-area routes similar to SR 305 have helped ease congestion.
The SR 305 – Poulsbo South City Limit to Bond Road project also improves safety for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists by updating traffic signals, improving turning lanes at eight intersections, providing bicycle lanes, and providing sidewalks between Baywatch Court and Lincoln Drive.
WSDOT partnered with the State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) and City of Poulsbo on this project.
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Incident of the week - Impact attenuator does its job
This impact attenuator performed as intended on SR 167 in Kent by absorbing the force of a collision and protecting our workers. |
When WSDOT contractors and WSDOT employees hit the road to do construction or make repairs, we use many tools to get our work done. Probably the least known or understood is something called an impact attenuator.
These giant shock absorbers are mounted on the backs of trucks. We use them upstream of workers who are in the lanes of traffic filling a pothole, jacking up concrete or any other number of things. Attenuators act like a huge pillow to protect workers and drivers from collisions on the highway.
Sadly, it’s not unusual to have an inattentive driver slam into the attenuator. And even more disheartening, 99 percent of the time, it’s the driver or his passenger who is injured.
While Washington State Patrol is still investigating the Jan. 21 collision on SR 167 in Kent, we do know a few things. According to the investigation, two drivers were drag racing at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour when one vehicle slammed into the impact attenuator. The driver of the vehicle is hospitalized in critical condition. Our worker, who was in the truck with the attenuator at the time it was struck, walked away without a scratch. He is truly thankful for the equipment.
While it’s not often that drivers drag race through work zones, they can and do talk on their cell phones, focus on conversations and not the road, apply make up and eat. These situations while not as stark can lead to the same tragic result. WSDOT asks all drivers to pay attention all the time. The life you save may be your own.
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Update of projects under way
US 97 Biggs Bridge - Construction activities resumed at US 97 Biggs Bridge on January 23. The one-week suspension of activities is not projected to affect reopening the bridge to traffic in time for Memorial Day weekend. The construction project has been on hold since January 16, due to a work zone accident involving a contractor employee. The construction crew held a routine pre-activity safety meeting on January 22. Some construction activity restrictions are in effect until the Department of Labor and Industries concludes its investigation.
SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct - Initial results from the January inspection revealed that the Alaskan Way Viaduct has settled approximately 1/8 of an inch, where foundation strengthening work is taking place between Columbia Street and Yesler Way. No new structural damage was caused by the additional settlement. This fall, WSDOT began repairs to strengthen the foundations of the four columns that are settling in this area. The columns have settled approximately five inches since the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. The foundation work is expected to be complete in April, limiting further settlement in this area and preventing damage to the structure. This work is one of six improvement projects planned to replace or repair more than half of the viaduct. Full inspections are conducted every six months, with the next scheduled for March 22 and 23.
SR 522 Bothell - WSDOT signal technicians activated a new signal system at NE 195th Street and SR 522 in Bothell on Jan.17. This is the last major milestone in the project, which included two left-turn lanes, a wider westbound SR 522 ramp to accommodate both turn lanes, and two signals to manage traffic flow. The new turn lanes and signals will reduce the weekday back-ups that extended past Woodinville-Snohomish Road NE by clearing the left-turning traffic from the intersection. Crews began constructing this $1.9 million project in summer 2007. Although the project was inundated by flood waters in October 2007, the contractor didn't discover any significant damage and was able to complete the signal system work without schedule delays. The project will wrap up this spring when crews come back to finish permanent-striping work.
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Announcements
WSDOT moves forward with construction on SR 522 near UW Bothell/ Cascadia Community College campus in Bothell
Construction near the UW Bothell/Cascadia Community College campus is moving forward. WSDOT selected Mowat Construction Co. to build the SR 522 UW Bothell/Cascadia Community College South Campus Access project. This highly-anticipated project will allow the colleges to expand, over time, from 3,000 to 10,000 full-time students. Preliminary construction on the $50.7 million project could begin as early as April 2008.
The project will widen SR 522 just west of I-405; create a new signalized entrance to the south end of the campus from SR 522 (Bothell-Woodinville Highway) and add a new southbound lane to the I-405 off-ramp to westbound SR 522. The Washington State Legislature earmarked funding for the project through the 2003 and 2005 gas tax. Funding sources also included higher education funds, and federal funds.
WSDOT continues to battle against wire theft
For the third time in two weeks, thieves stole wire from state highways in Pierce County. On Jan. 23, crews discovered thieves took wire from the SR 410 weigh station in Buckley. Last week, thieves disabled the lighting system on the off-ramp from westbound SR 512 to SR 161 (Meridian) in Puyallup. SR 16’s lighting system from Center Street to Union Avenue was also disabled when thieves stole 6,500 feet of copper wire. SR 16 has suffered seven thefts since November – the most recent discovered on Jan. 18.
Since December 2006, the financial loss including labor and materials for WSDOT’s Olympic Region which covers Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, Mason, Jefferson, Grays Harbor and Clallam counties is now estimated at over $189,000. Money to replace stolen wire comes from the same bucket of money budgeted for all maintenance activities at WSDOT. These losses take away from other important programs within maintenance and operations because the cost to repair or replace the wire comes out of the same budget used to maintain the system.
WSDOT and the Washington State Patrol need the public’s assistance raising awareness of this type of crime. Motorists who have information regarding wire-theft along a state highway are encouraged to call 1-866-976-WIRE (9473). If drivers encounter a theft in progress, they should dial 9-1-1. More information on wire-theft is available on the Web at: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/maintenance/material
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Gray Notebook Highlight - WSDOT Creates Culvert Management System
Our state highways are aging and so are their drainage systems, which include approximately 50,000 culverts. When culverts fail, they can have significant impacts on the movement of people and freight.
In June 2006, crews began collecting information for the Roadside Features Inventory Program (RFIP), a database of fixed objects such as culverts, signs and guardrail located along the highway. The RFIP will record where the culverts are located. We anticipate this work will be completed within five years. A second effort, called the Culvert Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is being developed to document the maintenance activities conducted on culverts, such as inspecting, cleaning and repair. Prior to CMMS, no central database existed and maintenance activities for culverts were not documented in a way that could be used for management purposes.
Using a single application, WSDOT will soon be able to access culvert data stored in both the RFIP and CMMS databases. We expect CMMS to be operational and ready for field use by late spring. Culvert maintenance is one of 33 maintenance activities that are tracked and measured through WSDOT's Maintenance Accountability Process. More information on this topic and other key issues can be found in the September 2007 Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability
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January meeting, open houses and events
28, Monday, 4 - 7 p.m., PSRC public outreach, Destination 2040 - Everett: The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is updating Destination 2030, its 30-year transportation plan for the Puget Sound region, and they want to get public input on issues (climate change, congestion, etc.), transportation alternatives, criteria and environmental impacts to be included in the plan. WSDOT staff for the I-5 Everett HOV Project also will be available. Location: Main Library, 2702 Hoyt Avenue, Everett.
29, Tuesday, 4 - 7 p.m., Open house, SR 16 Burley Olalla Interchange - Port Orchard: Construction of the SR 16 Burley Olalla Interchange project near Port Orchard is anticipated to begin in summer 2008. WSDOT project staff will be on hand to discuss the project's construction schedule and its affect on traffic, which includes closing Burley Olalla Road to all vehicles except emergency services. Location: Burley Community Club, 14853 Burley Avenue SE, Port Orchard.
29, Tuesday, 5 - 8 p.m., Open house, SR 3 Belfair Area Widening and Safety Improvements - Belfair: WSDOT and Mason County staff will host an open house, and formal presentations to the Mason County Commissioners, for both WSDOT's SR 3 Belfair Area Widening and Safety Improvements Project and Mason County's Wastewater and Water Reclamation Facilities Project. Location: Belfair Elementary School, 22900 NE SR 3, Belfair.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Weekly Report Archive
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