Project of the Week - US 2/97 intersection safety project begins
A new traffic signal is being added to this busy intersection, nine miles west of Wenatchee at US 2 & 97. |
A safety project to address two areas with higher than average collision rates got underway on US 2/97 in Chelan County on May 5.
Back in June 2002 WSDOT completed a two year safety study of the US2/97 corridor between the junction of the Stevens and Blewett pass highways and Wenatchee. Between 1994 and 2000, 625 collisions occurred in that 14-mile section. We identified 23 short and long-term safety improvement projects, estimated at $67.5 million. Money was scarce, but, of the short term projects, we installed shoulder rumble strip, added new signing, installed advance warning beacons for the stop lights, and added better lighting and 12 left-turn pockets.
The longer term projects were expensive and existing gas tax revenues meant none could likely be funded for 10 years into the future. Four of 17 intersections - the Big Y (junction of US 2/97), Cotlets Way, Monitor, and Easy Street - each had more than 27 serious accidents recorded, including five fatalities at the Big Y. Six years and two gas tax increases later, 17 of the short-term improvements are complete as is one of the long-term projects – last year’s US 2 Dryden Signal “Nickel” project. Another is under construction now – the $22 million Peshastin East Interchange “Nickel” project.
Work began this week on another long-term $750,000 project – a signal at the intersection of US 2/97 and Goodwin/Hay Canyon Road at the west end of Cashmere. The intersection serves the Chelan County Fairgrounds and Exposition Center. Crews will install a new signal and advanced warning beacons. The signal work should be complete by late July along with a second project that was combined with this one to save money. It installs six miles of concrete median barrier from Cashmere, west to the Big Y. This $2 million project is designed to eliminate head-on/crossover collisions.
top
Maintenance & Operations feature - First inspection of eastbound span of Tacoma Narrows Bridge with no fanfare
Crews use the "traveler" to inspect under the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The inspection work will be used to create a baseline for comparison over the life of the bridge. |
Nearly 10 months after 60,000 people came to celebrate the opening of the eastbound span of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the first cars paid the inaugural tolls; another first took place with no fanfare. This week, bridge inspection crews staged equipment and performed the first inspection of eastbound span. This inspection work will create a baseline for crews to compare to over the life of the bridge.
Crews were able to perform the under-deck inspection using a motorized carriage designed specifically for crews to perform maintenance and inspection activities. This carriage is called a “traveler” because it travels the length of the truss underneath the bridge. In order for crews to get a good look at the outside steel on the south truss of the bridge, the under bridge inspection truck or UBIT is used. On the eastbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the only place to put the UBIT to make the steel on the south truss accessible to crews was to stage equipment using the pedestrian walkway.
Realizing folks walking or biking across the bridge would need to safely get around the UBIT, WSDOT flaggers were there to safely guide travelers around the work zone. On the first day of inspections, 18 bicyclists and nine pedestrians safely made the trip across the bridge. The next inspection of the eastbound span will occur in 2010.
top
Update of projects under way
SR 3 Shelton - Crews break ground next week on a safety project that builds an on-ramp from State Route 3 to US 101 headed toward Shelton in Mason County. Currently, motorists on SR 3 who want to go north on US 101 must turn left and cross oncoming traffic. A new ramp provides a safer and more direct connection to US 101 and eliminates the left turn. The contractor, Tri State Construction, Inc. of Bellevue, begins construction Monday, May 12. The project is scheduled to wrap up the end of October.
I-90 Snoqualmie Pass - Crews began drilling work on I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass on May 6. Drivers can expect lane closures and up to 20 minute delays during weekdays from now through October. Geotechnical experts are using special drilling equipment to collect soil and foundation core samples for the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project. Construction begins in 2010 but experts are working now to gather critical information as engineers continue design on the half-billion dollar widening project.
top
Announcements
Hood Canal Bridge countdown begins
The one-year countdown to the May-June 2009 closure of the Hood Canal Bridge starts now. The six-week closure will affect thousands of residents and visitors in the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas, and as a result, WSDOT’s Hood Canal Bridge Project Team will be ramping up efforts to get the public ready for the construction project.
Through October, the team will staff information booths at events throughout the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas to inform residents about the project’s construction progress and closure mitigation plan. The events will allow WSDOT to reach an even broader audience as it discusses everything from pontoon work to a water shuttle across Hood Canal, transit additions, medical bus services and ridesharing opportunities. Team members, who will attend 11 community events in Jefferson, Clallam, Mason and Kitsap counties, will kick off the closure outreach effort May 16-18 at Viking Fest in Poulsbo and finish Oct. 11-12 at the Dungeness Crab Festival in Port Angeles.
The Hood Canal Bridge retrofit and replacement project will improve the existing structure, making it wider, safer and more reliable. The bridge will close for six weeks during May-June 2009 to allow WSDOT and contractors from Kiewit-General to remove and replace its eastern half.
Port Townsend/Keystone reservations program to begin Monday, May 19; advanced reservations available by phone starting Monday, May 12
Just in time for the busy Memorial Day weekend, customers will be able to reserve vehicle space on the Port Townsend/Keystone route. Travelers are encouraged to make a reservation to reduce wait times and to help ease congestion while vehicle capacity is temporarily reduced. Until new vessels are built, the route will be served by one 50-car vessel sailing every 90 minutes. Reservations will be for vehicles and motorcycles only. There is no fee to make a reservation.
On Monday, May 12, WSDOT will begin taking advanced reservations by phone for the Port Townsend/Keystone route for travel on or after Monday, May 19. Reservations can be made from 30 days in advance up to two hours before a sailing time. Customers will be able to make advance and same day reservations by calling 1-888-808-7977, 206-464-6400 or 511 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Advance and same day reservations will also be available on the Web starting Wednesday, May 21.
top
Gray Notebook Highlight - Incident clearance time improves
WSDOT's Incident Response program clears traffic incidents quickly and safely on state highways. In the fourth quarter of 2007, the Incident Response Team (IRT) responded to 12,560 traffic incidents. We have 55 IRT vehicles that patrol 500 miles of state highway. These IRT units provide 24-hours a day, seven days a week service including traffic control and re-routing, mobile communications, incident clearance and clean up, as well as motorist assistance. During the fourth quarter of 2007, IRT cleared 98.6 percent of incidents in less than 90 minutes. The average clearance time was 16 minutes, a 10.7 percent decrease from the same quarter in 2006. More information on this topic and other key issues can be found in the December 2007 Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
top
May open houses, meetings and events
13, Tuesday, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Open house, Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program - West Seattle: WSDOT, King County and city of Seattle will hold a series of open houses in May. Learn more about the process of projects and the plan to take down the viaduct by 2012. At each meeting, programs staff will be available to answer questions and discuss the project updates. We have also set aside time for public comments. Location: Madison Middle School Cafeteria, 3429 45th Avenue SW, Seattle.
Note: revised start time and location
14, Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., Groundbreaking ceremony, I-5 Grand Mound to Maytown - Maytown: WSDOT will host a community event to celebrate the start of construction for the I-5 Grand Mound to Maytown added lanes project. When completed, the project will reduce congestion by adding a new lane in each direction. Location: Northbound I-5 at the Scatter Creek Rest area parking lot (from southbound I-5 use Exit 88, turn left and get back onto northbound I-5 to access the rest area).
15, Thursday, 4 - 6:30 p.m., Open house, US 2 School Street Safety Enhancement Project - Wenatchee: The WSDOT project team for this US safety project is inviting the public to comment on a plan to restrict turning movements at the US 2 and School Street intersection to right-in and right-out only. Location: Sunnyslope Elementary School Multipurpose Room, 3109 School Street, Wenatchee.
15, Thursday, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Open house, Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program - Ballard: WSDOT, King County and city of Seattle will hold a series of open houses in May. Learn more about the process of projects and the plan to take down the viaduct by 2012. At each meeting, program staff will be available to answer questions and discuss the project updates. We have also set aside time for public comments. Location: Adams Elementary School Cafeteria, 6110 28th Avenue NW, Seattle.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Weekly Report Archive
top