Project of the week - Crews split open southbound I-5 in Everett to replace damaged girder
Crews will replace a damaged girder on the I-5 bridge over Pacific Avenue in Everett. |
On Wednesday, March 3, WSDOT will begin work on a two-month project to replace a 95-foot-long girder that supports southbound I-5 over Pacific Avenue in Everett.
Crews will cut a hole in the middle of southbound I-5 bridge to remove and replace the girder. During this time, the southbound I-5 lanes will split around a construction zone that will stretch from Marine View Drive to just north of 41st Street. Two lanes will run on the left side of the work zone, and one lane will be on the right. Crews expect this traffic split to be in place for up to eight weeks.
Drivers continuing on southbound I-5 may use all three lanes. However, drivers headed for Everett via the eastbound US 2/Everett Avenue and 41st Street exits must use the right lane.
Crews will work around-the-clock, seven days a week and plan additional nighttime southbound I-5 lane and ramp closures to allow space for moving big equipment and hauling material to and from the site.
The girder was damaged after being struck by an over-height truck in Dec. 2006. Crews plan to complete the bridge repair by the end of April and continue their work on the I-5 Everett HOV freeway expansion project.
Incident of the week - Teamwork keeps traffic moving through log spill
WSDOT maintenance crews arrive to help clear a log truck from SR 7 near Morton. |
At 8 a.m. on Feb. 14, Incident Response Team (IRT) Coordinator Randy Bateman was notified by the Washington State Patrol (WSP) that a tractor-trailer loaded with logs had gone into the ditch on SR 7 north of Morton and was blocking the southbound lane. Bateman contacted WSDOT's Morton-area maintenance supervisor and learned that one crew member was already on the scene with other maintenance personnel enroute to perform traffic control.
As Bateman arrived, a self-loader log truck set to work unloading the logs from the disabled tractor-trailer. Shortly after, a tow truck began carefully removing the semi, causing minimal impact to traffic on SR 7. During clean up, our maintenance crew flagged traffic on both ends of the incident and guided motorists safely through the area. Finally, maintenance workers used a plow truck to remove snow the tractor-trailer had pushed from the ditch onto the roadway. Thanks to great teamwork, SR 7 was clear and open to traffic at 10:14 a.m.
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Update of projects under way
I-5 Renton - In March, crews will begin installing a new culvert to carry Thunder Hills Creek under I-405 in Renton . Drivers should expect nighttime lane closures for the next two to three months while we tunnel under I-405. The original culvert collapsed in the Dec. 3 storm. Currently a temporary pump and pipe system is diverting Thunder Hills Creek away from the damaged culvert. In case of sizeable storm event, there is a system in place to divert larger creek flows along the northbound shoulder of I-405, on Talbot Road (SR 515) under I-405 and into a wetland.
SR 9 Arlington - On Feb. 25 crews working to improve State Route (SR) 9 between Arlington and Bryant will begin setting girders for a new bridge that will take the highway over Harvey Creek and Harvey Creek Road. The bridge is at the north end of a new one-mile stretch of highway we are building to eliminate a sharp curve on the existing highway. Crews are also adding new turn lanes at the intersections of 252nd St NE and 268th St NE, upgrading lighting, replacing culverts to improve fish passage, and making other changes to enhance safety on the highway.
SR 202 Redmond - Crews opened a new lane in each direction of SR 202 between East Lake Sammamish Parkway and Sahalee Way on Feb. 14. Temperatures were finally warm and dry enough to apply temporary striping to the new sections of roadway. After striping, crews opened lanes and activated a new signal at 204th Place NE. Drivers can turn left again from eastbound SR 202 to 204th Place NE. The left turn was restricted at this intersection for a year while crews rebuilt the roadway and installed the new signal.
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Announcements
Next Aviation Planning Council Meeting: March 6 in Seattle
On March 6, members of the Governor-appointed Aviation Planning Council will meet to continue work on the final phase of the Long-Term Air Transportation Study (LATS). The meeting will take place at the Museum of Flight, 9404 East Marginal Way South, Seattle, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
The Council will receive an overview of airport safety issues, pavement preservation, the Growth Management Act, and airport land use compatibility. To further explore these topics, the Council will participate in a panel discussion with experts from the Federal Aviation Administration, Community, Trade and Economic Development, and Washington State Department of Transportation. The Council will also review and discuss key findings from LATS Phases I and II.
Transportation Commission adopts toll range for SR 167 HOT lanes
The state Transportation Commission adopted a minimum and maximum toll range for the State Route 167 high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes pilot project during its Feb. 19 meeting. HOT lanes allow solo drivers to pay an electronic toll to use carpool lanes previously reserved for vehicles with two or more occupants. Toll rates will fluctuate based on congestion factors, including time of day, traffic volumes, and traffic flow.
Commissioners adopted a minimum toll rate of 50 cents for solo drivers who choose to use the HOT lanes during periods of little or no congestion. A maximum toll rate of $9 will be charged during peak travel periods when the demand for the lane is the highest. WSDOT officials expect the SR 167 HOT lanes will be operational in spring 2008. The toll range may be adjusted as the four-year pilot project progresses. The Commission’s adoption of a toll range will allow WSDOT to move forward with the implementation of tolls on this project. The WAC amendment is scheduled to become effective on April 7, 2008.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - Urban Mobility Report
The Texas Transportation Institute publishes an annual congestion report ranking all urban areas in the United States. The report uses several measures including the annual number of hours of delay during peak congestion. The 2007 report shows that delay in the Seattle urban area (which combines Tacoma, Seattle and Everett) is well below the nation average. Similarly-sized urban areas are reported to have 54 hours of traveler delay compared to Seattle's 45 hours. On the other side of the state, Spokane was ranked as the least congested urban area in the nation, along with Brownsville, Texas, out of a total of 85 urban areas covered in the report. More details on this topic can be found in the Congestion Annual Update of the Sept. 2007 Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
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February open houses, meetings and events
26, Tuesday, 5 - 7 p.m., Citizen Advisory Committee, Tacoma Narrows Bridge - Gig Harbor: The Governor-appointed citizen advisory committee for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge will meet to review financial data, toll scenarios and possible toll rates for the new bridge. Meetings are open to the public. Comments for the committee can be submitted online. Location: Gig Harbor Civic Center, 3510 Grandview St., Gig Harbor.
27, Wednesday, 3 - 7 p.m., Open house, US 97A N. Wenatchee Unstable Slope Project- Entiat: WSDOT's project team will hold an open house to share information on a project to fix an unstable slope along US 97A. The project team is seeking comments from people regarding preferred staging and traffic control alternatives during construction. Location: Entiat Grange Hall, 14108 Kinzel St., Entiat.
28, Thursday, 3 - 7 p.m., Open house, US 97A N. Wenatchee Unstable Slope Project- Wenatchee: WSDOT's project team will hold an open house to share information on a project to fix an unstable slope along US 97A. The project team is seeking comments from people regarding preferred staging and traffic control alternatives during construction. Location: WSDOT Area 1 Maintenance Building, 2830 Euclid Avenue, Wenatchee.
28, Thursday, 5 - 7 p.m., Citizen Advisory Committee, Tacoma Narrows Bridge - Gig Harbor: The Governor-appointed citizen advisory committee for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge will meet to review financial data, toll scenarios and possible toll rates for the new bridge. Meetings are open to the public. Comments for the committee can be submitted online. Location: Peninsula Library, 4424 Point Fosdick, Gig Harbor.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Weekly Report Archive
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