A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Project of the Week - SR 704 Cross-base projects kick off with ceremony
WSDOT Secretary Paula Hammond talks about the safety and congestion-relief benefits of the Spanaway Loop Road to SR 7 project, the first of five SR 704 cross-base projects. |
Construction began July 30 on the first of five State Route (SR) 704 cross-base highway projects that build a six-mile east-west corridor from Interstate 5 in Lakewood to SR 7 in Spanaway. Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond joined several local, state and federal officials at a ground-breaking ceremony in Spanaway to kick off this $7.35 million project slated for completion in June 2009.
Project 1 widens a .7-mile stretch of Spanaway Loop Road to five lanes, adds a second right-turn lane from Spanaway Loop Road to southbound SR 7, and adds a second left-turn lane from northbound SR 7 to Spanaway Loop Road.
WSDOT workers and crews from the project contractor, Ceccanti, Inc., were on hand with a dump truck and back hoe. Officials turned dirt with shovels near the corner of SR 7 and 176th Street.
Sen. Marilyn Rasmussen addressed the crowd and made her feeling clear about work getting under way: “This is a glorious day.”
The remaining SR 704 projects will be completed as funding becomes available. The new corridor provides congestion relief and reduced delays on I-5, SR 512, SR 7 and county roads.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - Incident Response prevents ruptured tank from spilling fuel along I-5
Fuel is pumped from a damaged semi to a holding tank in one of WSDOT's Incident Response trucks. |
Cars that run out of fuel on I-5 can count on WSDOT’s Incident Response (IR) to save the day by providing enough gas so the motorist can make it to the next service station. Some IR trucks also have the ability to pump fuel from vehicles that experience a ruptured tank or that are involved in a collision.
WSDOT's IR member Brian Farrar used this capability on July 21 when a semi heading southbound on I-5 near Lacey blew out a tire. Debris hit the fuel tank of the truck causing it to leak. Luckily, no other vehicles were damaged and the semi was able to make it safely to the left shoulder.
Washington State Patrol (WSP) called WSDOT for assistance at 7:27 a.m. Farrar arrived at the scene soon after and situated his truck in the grassy median alongside the semi. He was able to pump 200-gallons of fuel from the damaged semi and off-load it into another truck. WSP and Department of Ecology (DOE) also assisted at the scene. DOE placed absorbent pads under the tank to soak up any fuel that may have reached the ground. By 8:55 a.m., Farrar had off-loaded all the fuel, a tow-truck had removed the semi and all agencies were clear of the scene. The morning commute flowed freely on I-5 throughout the incident.
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Update of projects under way
SR 4 Kelso - After three weeks of rock scaling along SR 4 near the Cowlitz - Wahkiakum county line, crews no longer are using 45-minute highway closures. Crews removed approximately 200 cubic yards of loose debris during the rock scaling operation. Workers will now start the next phase of work, which bolts the rock face to secure it and adds cable fence to catch any possible falling debris. Crews will also repave the portion of the roadway damaged by fallen rocks during the scaling operation. Construction is projected to conclude in September.
I-5, SR 502 Battle Ground - Crews working on the I-5, SR 502 Interchange project reached a milestone during the last week of July when the final structural component of the new bridge was completed. Crews began work on the interchange bridge in May 2007 and have substantially completed the bridge on schedule, despite a month and a half delay due to the December 2007 storms. Cosmetic work, including concrete finishing and painting, and installing steel bridge railing, will continue over the next couple of months. The 720-foot long bridge will accommodate an eastbound and a westbound lane of traffic along the new alignment of SR 502 when the bridge is opened this fall. Work is part of a $56.1 million project that will connect Battle Ground directly to I-5.
I-5 Olympia- Renovations are under way at the I-5 Maytown and Scatter Creek safety rest areas south of Olympia. The work is part of a $6 million renovation and environmental improvement project to update the two rest areas, improve parking, RV dump stations, and connect to the local sewer system. From Aug. 4 through Oct. 31 at the southbound I-5 Maytown rest area, no water will be available and restroom services will be limited to portable toilets and hand sanitizer. On the northbound side of I-5, the car parking area is closed at Scatter Creek Safety Rest Area, while the truck and bus parking and restrooms are open. The work at Scatter Creek is scheduled to be complete Aug. 27.
I-82 Selah - WSDOT and contractor finished paving and restored a smooth ride on I-82 from Selah Creek to Yakima in late July. The rough spots and ruts are gone and the lane stripes are bright. “This was a simple mill and fill project, grinding up a layer of old, worn out asphalt and laying down a brand new layer,” said Don Whitehouse, WSDOT Regional Administrator. “We are pleased with the result."
I-405 Renton - Construction work on I-405 in Renton between I-5 and SR 167 is about to reach a milestone. After the weekend of August 8-10, drivers traveling southbound on I-405 through Tukwila and Renton will be using a new bridge over Oakesdale Avenue SW. Crews are currently putting the finishing touches on the new bridge and paving the southbound lanes. During the weekend of August 8-10, drivers can expect up to two lanes of southbound I-405 to be closed between SR 169 and I-5 so construction crews can shift southbound I-405 traffic onto the new bridge. Crews will continue work to construct the northbound lanes of the new bridge over the next year. By summer 2010, the new bridge will hold four lanes of traffic in each direction.
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Announcements
Possible scenarios introduced for the AWV central waterfront
Eight packages of transportation system improvements are now being evaluated as we move forward in finding a replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct’s central waterfront section.
These eight packages, or scenarios, were introduced at the June 26 Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting and include above-ground, below-ground and surface viaduct replacement options for the central waterfront. All of the scenarios include improvements in transit, I-5, surface streets, and transportation management policies. Over the next few months, the program team will work on detailing the scenarios’ travel times, congestion levels, and how effective they are in keeping people and goods moving.
SR 520 Bridge inspection finds small cracks, but overall results find bridge in good shape
The SR 520 Bridge is in good shape according to WSDOT crews that finished analysis of the SR 520 bridge annual inspection this week. “In general the inspection results are positive,” said Archie Allen, WSDOT’s Northwest Region Bridge Maintenance Superintendent. “While we found some minor mechanical issues, we now have a clear sense of what we need to repair before the next storm season.”
Engineers found small cracks in guide roller tracks. The tracks help align gears between the drawspan and pontoons and help ensure a smooth opening of the drawspan. WSDOT crews have already started repairs on these cracks, and will continue to monitor and repair the minor cracks during the routine monthly openings. The electrical systems were found to be in satisfactory condition, though the inspection team noted that an infrared inspection of the 15 kilo-volt electrical system should be done in the near future. They did not conduct a structural inspection of the pontoons at this time but will complete this visual inspection before winter. Results of ultrasonic testing of the drawspan trunnion beams showed no cracking.
Built in the 1960s without the benefit of today’s design standards, the Evergreen Point floating bridge is vulnerable to earthquakes and windstorms and needs to be replaced. The new SR 520 with a “4 + 2” lane corridor configuration will keep drivers safer, improve travel-time reliability and provide a new lane for transit and high occupancy vehicles. The new six-lane corridor is scheduled to open in 2016.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - WSDOT managed state airports
WSDOT operates 16 public-use airports across the state. The majority of these are located near the Cascade Mountains, with others located along the Snake River in southeastern Washington. Initially conceived of as a simple system of emergency landing areas in key locations, WSDOT-managed airports today are used for many activities, including fire-fighting operations and recreational aviation. The airports also provide transportation access to isolated communities or significant recreation areas. One of the WSDOT-managed airports, Methow Valley State Airport, is included in the national inventory system and is eligible for federal funding. More information on WSDOT Aviation can be found in the March 2008 Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
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August open houses
5, Tuesday, 5 - 7:30 p.m., Open house, SR 520 Tolling Implementation Committee - Seattle: The SR 520 Tolling Implementation Committee is holding a series of open houses for the public to hear about and comment on tolling as a means to help pay for a new SR 520 Bridge across Lake Washington. Committee members will discuss tolling options under consideration. Location: Naval Reserve at South Lake Union, 860 Terry Ave. N, Seattle.
6, Wednesday, 5 - 7:30 p.m., Open house, SR 520 Tolling Implementation Committee - Bellevue: The SR 520 Tolling Implementation Committee is holding a series of open houses for the public to hear about and comment on tolling as a means to help pay for a new SR 520 Bridge across Lake Washington. Committee members will discuss tolling options under consideration. Location: Bellevue City Hall, 450 110th Ave. NE, Bellevue.
7, Thursday, 5 - 7:30 p.m., Open house, SR 520 Tolling Implementation Committee - Kirkland: The SR 520 Tolling Implementation Committee is holding a series of open houses for the public to hear about and comment on tolling as a means to help pay for a new SR 520 Bridge across Lake Washington. Committee members will discuss tolling options under consideration. Location: Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Express Lane Archive
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