A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Project of the Week - I-82 Valley Mall Boulevard Roundabout Test Drive
A Yakima truck driver puts WSDOT's roundabout design to the test. WSDOT plans to build roundabouts as part of the I-82 Valley Mall Blvd. project. |
Drivers from Yakima and Union Gap flocked to the Sundome on Saturday, May 31, to put a full-scale, two-lane roundabout to the test. WSDOT hosted the roundabout test drive as a way to show drivers how to navigate a roundabout.
Engineers listened to drivers' concerns and comments about the I-82 Valley Mall Boulevard project, where three roundabouts will be built in 2010. WSDOT engineers suggested maneuvers to make through the roundabout to drivers of commercial trucks and other vehicles. A WSDOT truck and lowboy trailer even stopped by to show local residents how large vehicles could maneuver through a roundabout.
With 22,000 vehicles traveling through the I-82 Valley Mall Boulevard Interchange everyday, WSDOT, TRANS-ACTION (a local transportation support committee), and Union Gap area businesses agree traffic improvements to this area rank among the region’s top three transportation priorities. The I-82 Valley Mall Boulevard Interchange Improvements project aims to increase safety for drivers, enhance the mobility of commercial trucks and large vehicles, and improve access to I-82 and North and South Rudkin roads.
Currently, there are 92 roundabouts being used in Washington with plans to build more. Modern roundabouts offer a variety of benefits including slower speeds (15 to 20 miles per hour), eliminating traffic signal lights that stop traffic and force people to wait for a green light, and eliminating conflicting left turns. Roundabouts eliminate the hardware, maintenance, and electrical costs associated with traffic signals, amounting to an average savings of $5,000 per year. Studies have shown that roundabouts improve traffic flow and reduce injury crashes by as much as 75 percent. Several case studies have shown a 20 percent reduction in traffic delays for intersections where a modern roundabout replaces a traffic signal.
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Maintenance & Operations Feature - Washington's bizarre spring weather continues to challenge WSDOT maintenance crews
I-90 in Spokane takes on a wintery appearance on June 11, and keeps WSDOT Maintenance crews from their regular duties. |
Although the calendar says "June," winter keeps hanging on in parts of Washington. On Monday, June 9, WSDOT maintenance workers were sent home to rest in preparation for a long night of snow plowing on I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass. This meant they had to postpone highway sweeping, patching, median mowing, and guardrail repairs - work more typical for this time of year.
Seven maintenance workers plowed snow from 10 p.m., Monday until about 6:30 a.m., Tuesday. Then a second shift of plow drivers came on and finished plowing snow at about 10 a.m. WSDOT Transportation Management Center operators changed the electronic signs above the freeway to show a reduced speed limit of 45 miles per hour. Other signs, along with Highway Advisory Radios, told of restrictions: "Traction Tires Advised, Oversize Loads Prohibited."
After all was said and done, seven inches of snow had fallen and was cleared from the summit of Snoqualmie Pass between Monday night and Tuesday morning. “Loosing a full day of summer maintenance activities to plow snow is frustrating because the season is very short up here for that kind of work,” said Sam Krahenbuhl, WSDOT Assistant Maintenance Superintendent. No injuries to drivers or WSDOT workers were reported.
Elsewhere, in downtown Spokane spring showers turned to hail pellets, mixed with snow on Wednesday, June 11. A WSDOT paint-striping crew member traded in her paint truck for a plow after a weather system moved through dumping a layer of slippery hail and slush on the I-90 freeway lanes. Although the slushy mess quickly melted, the paint striping was postponed for drier pavement conditions.
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Update of projects under way
US 2 Monroe - Crews made short work of grinding over 40 miles of centerline and shoulder rumble strips on US 2 between Monroe and Stevens Pass. They started grinding on Monday, June 2 and were finished by 5:15 a.m. on Thursday, June 5. With the rumble strips out of the way, crews are now upgrading signs along the highway and will install high-visibility, permanent striping as weather permits. Rumble strips and high-visibility striping will help keep drivers in their lane and reduce serious crossover and run-off-the-road collisions.
SR 20 Republic - Several small sections of shoulder have been washed out on SR 20 near Sherman Pass, approximately 10 miles east of Republic in Ferry County. Runoff from the heavy snow pack coupled with the rain over the last two days increased the flow of the adjacent creek, eroding the bottom of the slope below the roadway. SR 20 remains open with shoulder closures at the washout locations. WSDOT crews have been on site stabilizing the slopes and will continue work over the next few days.
US 101 Hoquiam - A project that replaces two bridges over the West Fork Hoquiam River requires a two-mile stretch of US 101 be restricted to a single lane. Crews will reduce the highway to one lane between mileposts 98 and 100 on Thursday, June 19. A temporary traffic signal will be used to direct one-way, alternating traffic. Two 15-feet-wide detour bridges are in place to carry traffic over the river during construction. Wide vehicles restrictions are in place. The lane and width restrictions remain in effect until April 2009, when the $5.3 million bridge replacement project is scheduled for completion.
SR 528 Marysville - On June 15, construction crews began work to repave half a mile of SR 528 (4th Street) and replace a water main beneath the roadway. Crews will spend a few nights preparing the site for construction before beginning work to excavate the water main, which runs beneath the eastbound lanes of SR 528. In addition to replacing the water main, crews will grind and repave all lanes of SR 528 from just west of I-5 to SR 529 (State Avenue). Crews will work on SR 528 moving from west to east as they excavate and replace the water line, fill in the roadway, and pave the area. To keep traffic moving during the day, crews will complete the majority of construction at night when fewer vehicles are on the road. This $1.4 million project is scheduled to wrap up by late 2008.
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Announcements
WSDOT Awards $1.1 Million Towards 2008 Airport Improvement Projects
In its second round of grants during the 2007-2009 biennium WSDOT Aviation has awarded over $1.1 million to 34 airports for 56 different projects. Of that $1.1 million, WSDOT is using approximately $477,000 to leverage $16.7 million in federal funds. Airports also contribute a required 2.5% local match to federal funds for their specific projects. Therefore, the combination of state, federal and local match funds brings the grand project total for this round of grants to nearly $19 million.
Consistent with other grant rounds, WSDOT focused most of its funds - approximately $781,000 - towards pavement projects at Washington airports. As revealed in the most recent Airport Pavement Management System report, 23% of Washington airport pavements have deteriorated to the point where costly reconstruction or even rehabilitation is needed. For the rest of the airport pavements, preventative maintenance is required to avoid such costly repair. Other WSDOT-funded projects are in the areas of safety, maintenance, planning and other, security and runway safety.
Rhododendron returns to Point Defiance/Tahlequah route
The WSDOT Ferries Division returned the 60-car Rhododendron ferry to service on the Point Defiance/Tahlequah route (Tacoma to south Vashon) on Saturday, June 14. The Rhododendron has been on loan to Pierce County since June 1, and the 34-car Hiyu has been operating on the Point Defiance/Tahlequah route.
WSDOT loaned the Rhododendron to Pierce County to serve the route from Steilacoom to Anderson and Ketron Islands while Pierce County’s vessel, the Christine Anderson, was in dry-dock for emergency repairs due to a blown shaft seal. Pierce County’s other ferry, the Steilacoom II, is on loan to WSDOT and has been operating on the Port Townsend/Keystone route since February 9.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - Construction Material Cost Trends
WSDOT prepares construction cost estimates using historical information about market conditions, drawn from recent project bids. Construction cost information is used to calculate a Construction Cost Index (CCI), which is based on unit price information for seven of the most commonly used construction materials. These include high worldwide-demand items such as steel and cement, and Hot Mix Asphalt, the most widely used highway construction material. From 1990 through 2001, WSDOT's CCI grew at a rate of about 1.5 percent each year. Beginning in 2002 and continuing through 2005, the growth rate increased to eight percent annually. By the end of 2007, the CCI had increased by an additional 31 percent. For the first quarter of 2008, WSDOT's CCI has increased 4.5 percent from the annual average for 2007. We expect more increases for the 2008 construction season. Details on this topic can be found in the Beige Pages of the Gray Notebook at www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
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June open houses, meetings and events
17, Tuesday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Community meeting, Washington State Transportation Commission - Moses Lake: The Washington State Transportation Commission, an independent state agency, will meet with local, regional and state government and business representatives to discuss local and regional transportation needs. Location: Big Bend Community College, Room 1870 A&B, 7662 Chanute Street NE, Moses Lake.
17, Tuesday, 6:30 - 9 p.m., Ferry Advisory Committee Meeting - Whidbey Island: WSDOT's Ferry Division is holding a public meeting to share information regarding the recent legislative ferry financing study and to hear customer's comments related to this ferry route. Location: Freeland Hall, 1515 Shoreview Drive, Freeland.
18, Wednesday, 5 - 7:30 p.m., Open house, Mount Baker Highway - Nugents Corner: WSDOT's project team will hold an open house to hear from drivers regarding their concerns about the Mount Baker Highway between Everson Goshen Road and Nugents Corner. This is an opportunity to talk directly with project engineers, learn about potential safety improvements, ask questions and voice concerns in an informal setting. Location: Rome Grange, 2821 Mount Baker Highway, Bellingham.
18, Wednesday, 6:30 - 9 p.m., Ferry Advisory Committee Meeting - Port Townsend: WSDOT's Ferry Division is holding a public meeting to share information regarding the recent legislative ferry financing study and to hear customer's comments related to this ferry route. Location: Fort Worden State Park Commons B&C, 200 Battery Way, Port Townsend.
19, Thursday, 6:30 - 9 p.m., Ferry Advisory Committee Meeting - Anacortes: WSDOT's Ferry Division is holding a public meeting to share information regarding the recent legislative ferry financing study and to hear customer's comments related to this ferry route. Location: Fidalgo Senior Center, 1701 22nd Street, Anacortes.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Express Lane Archive
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