Project of the Week - Community celebrates the opening of a new I-5 overpass in Tacoma
Students from Holy Rosary School joined in the celebration for the I-5 48th Street to Pacific Avenue project in Tacoma. |
Doubling the width of Pierce County’s busiest section of freeway came loaded with challenges for the hundreds of workers whose ingenuity, skill, sweat and tears made it happen. Those challenges weren’t exclusive to the workers, as drivers, local residents, businesses, schools and churches adjusted to the detours and the din of a two-and-a-half-year construction project stretching from the Tacoma Mall to the Tacoma Dome.
A ribbon-cutting event that took place Monday, March 17 celebrated the on-time, on-budget accomplishments of the work crews and the safety and mobility benefits produced by the freeway improvements. At the same time, WSDOT recognized its partners and the local people whose daily lives were affected by the $72.9 million I-5, 48th Street to Pacific Avenue project.
While the project continues into the spring, the opening of the new Delin Street overpass presented a fitting opportunity to cut a ribbon and involve the local community in the event. Speakers included Secretary Hammond, WSDOT Olympic Region Administrator Kevin Dayton and Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma. Also as part of the program, nearly 100 students from Holy Rosary School cut a ribbon before walking as a group across the new Delin Street overpass.
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Maintenance & Operations feature
SR 504 to Coldwater Visitor Center reopened this week
WSDOT maintenance crews were hard at work this week, clearing 10 to 15 feet of snow from SR 504, Spirit Lake Highway. |
WSDOT maintenance crews reopened a section of SR 504, Spirit Lake Highway, from Bear Creek at milepost (MP) 34 to west of Coldwater Creek (MP 43) on Thursday, March 20. The highway has been closed since January 29, due to heavy snowfall and debris on the roadway. WSDOT hopes to have an additional two miles of highway, up to Coldwater Creek, reopened by the end of next week.
In January, our maintenance crews were unable to plow beyond Bear Creek due to rapidly accumulating snow - up to 30 inches a day - and narrowing of the roadway. Crews were no longer able to keep the roadway open because there was no room for the stacking the massive amounts of plowed snow. Crews cleared 10 to 15 feet of snow from the road and re-established a safe passage through this section of highway, successfully reopening SR 504 to traffic once again. There remains an estimated 25 to 30 feet of snow on the roadway at the higher elevations of SR 504. Crews will continue snow removal operations, and ask that motorists drive with caution where plows are present.
WSDOT closes a portion of SR 504 every winter, at Coldwater Creek, mile post 45, due to hazardous snow and icy conditions and the possibility of avalanches in some areas. It reopens in the spring after it is determined that no more significant snowfall will occur.
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Update of projects under way
SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct: Engineers conducted the semiannual inspections and public tour of the Alaskan Way Viaduct the weekend of March 22 and 23. In addition to structural inspections, maintenance crews searched for and removed loose concrete, repaired potholes, guardrails and expansion joints, service drainage systems and traffic cameras, and conducted other routine maintenance. Inspections and maintenance closures included an around the clock closure of the Battery Street Tunnel.
SR 823 Selah - On March 17 crews began sidewalk and intersection reconstruction work on SR 823 between Goodlander Road and Harrison Road in Selah. WSDOT is improving the intersection at Goodlander Road to allow easier right-turns onto northbound SR 823. The new sidewalk will give pedestrians a safer route to walk between Carlon Park, Selah High School and the residential area along SR 823.
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Announcements
Sign unveiling marks official launch of US 2 traffic safety corridor project
State and local officials gathered with community members March 18 in Sultan to unveil new signs designating US 2 a traffic safety corridor. Secretary Hammond joined House Transportation Committee Chair Rep. Judy Clibborn, Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste, and Washington Traffic Safety Commission Director Steve Lind to discuss the safety corridor program and what’s planned for US 2.
Governor Gregoire declared US 2 from Everett to Stevens Pass a traffic safety corridor on Oct. 8, 2007. The safety corridor program aims to reduce collisions on roadways with significant safety needs through partnerships with community groups, businesses, engineering, enforcement, education and emergency services organizations. The program is locally led and coordinated in each community. Some steps have already been taken since the Governor’s announcement last fall. This summer WSDOT will install over 40 miles of rumble strips and high-visibility, long-wear striping along US 2 between Monroe and Stevens Pass.
In addition, the state legislature recently approved an additional $10 million to fund safety projects on US 2 between Monroe and Gold Bar. Rep. Clibborn said that she was moved by the US 2 bus tour the transportation committee took last summer and by testimony they heard during the legislative session. In addition to engineering improvements, WSP has already shifted resources to provide additional troopers and emphasis patrols on US 2 targeting violations such as drunk driving and speeding.
Anacortes/Sidney, BC sailings return with spring ferry schedule on March 30
Ferry service between Sidney, B.C. and Anacortes resumes Sunday, March 30 with the release of the WSDOT Ferries Division spring sailing schedule. The spring schedule also includes more hours of service than the winter schedule.
An informal day of celebration is planned for the reopening of the Anacortes/Sidney, BC route, which will feature one round trip sailing per day, on Sunday, March 30. The celebration event will be hosted by the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce, the Sidney Business Association and the Anacortes and Sidney Sister Cities Association, and WSDOT, and will feature marching bands and town criers. A member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will meet the first sailing, which departs from Anacortes at 7:45 a.m. and arrives in Sidney at 10:50 a.m. For complete schedule information go to http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - Traveler Information
During the second half of 2007, WSDOT's Web site received 709,753,943 total page views. This represents a seven percent decrease from the same period last year (4.1 million daily page views in 2006, compared to 3.9 million daily page views in 2007). December saw the highest monthly average with 6.4 million page views daily, a 31 percent increase over the same month in 2006. This can be attributed to the storms and flooding, as well as holiday travel. WSDOT has changed its Web site statistics vendor and the new data will not be comparable to previously collected data. We will no longer include camera image views as part of the overall page view count. This is so that we can better understand how users are accessing and using our site, rather than focusing on raw numbers. More details on this topic and other key issues can be found in the December 2007 Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
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March open houses, meetings, events
24, Monday, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Ferry Advisory Committee Public Meeting – Bainbridge: WSDOT Ferries Division will host a public meeting to share information and take public comments on vehicle level-of-service (LOS) strategies and baseline ridership forecasts. For more information, visit the Ferry Financing Legislation page. Location: Bainbridge Commons, 402 Brien Drive, Bainbridge Island.
25, Tuesday, 2 - 4 p.m., kickoff meeting, US 2 Traffic Safety Corridor - Monroe: Drivers and residents interested in improving safety on US 2 are invited to the US 2 Traffic Safety Corridor kickoff meeting next Tuesday. Learn more about how the safety corridor program works and how you can get involved in education, enforcement and engineering efforts to reduce serious collisions on US 2. Location: Monroe City Library, 1070 Village Way, Monroe.
25, Tuesday, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Ferry Advisory Committee Public Meeting – Kingston: WSDOT Ferries Division will host a public meeting to share information and take public comments on vehicle level-of-service (LOS) strategies and baseline ridership forecasts. For more information, visit the Ferry Financing Legislation page. Location: Kingston Yacht Club, 25915 Washington Blvd., Kingston.
26, Wednesday, 4:30 - 8 p.m., Open house and access hearing, I-82 Valley Mall Boulevard Interchange project - Union Gap: WSDOT's project team will hold an open house from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. to share information about planned improvements for the interchange atI-82 and Valley Mall Boulevard. An access hearing for the project will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. The access hearing is
an opportunity for area residents to understand the project’s access plan and how it will affect their property. People can sign up to give testimony to a court reporter about the project’s access plan. Location: Union Gap School, 3200 S. 2nd Street, Union Gap.
26, Wednesday, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Ferry Advisory Committee Public Meeting – Southworth: WSDOT Ferries Division will host a public meeting to share information and take public comments on vehicle level-of-service (LOS) strategies and baseline ridership forecasts. For more information, visit the Ferry Financing Legislation page. Location: South Colby Elementary, 3281 Banner Rd SE., Southworth.
27, Thursday, 4 - 7:30 p.m., Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting, Alaskan Way Viaduct - Seattle: The Washington State, King County, and Seattle departments of transportation lead the committee as a way to engage key stakeholders, listen to ideas, and conduct a transparent public involvement process for the central waterfront project. Meetings are open to the public. Location: Puget Sound Regional Council boardroom, 1011 Western Ave. # 500, Seattle.
27, Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Ferry Advisory Committee Public Meeting – Coupeville: WSDOT Ferries Division will host a public meeting to share information and take public comments on vehicle level-of-service (LOS) strategies and baseline ridership forecasts. For more information, visit the Ferry Financing Legislation page. Location: Camp Casey, Auditorium B, 1276 Engle Rd.
28, Friday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Commute Trip Reduction Board meeting - Olympia: Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Board meetings are typically held on the fourth Friday of every month. All meetings are open to the public and time is reserved at the end of the meeting for public comments. Location: Intercity Transit, 526 Pattison Street SE, Olympia.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Weekly Report Archive
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