A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
September 22, 2008 Weekly Report - Time 5:00 (mp3)
Project of the Week - The morning commute just got easier for thousands of commuters in east King County
Commuter Johnna Jones speaks of her 30-minute time savings on the newly widened SR 202, while fellow commuter Bob Keith, Rep. Judy Clibborn and Gov. Gregoire listen on. |
Crews recently completed a four-year, $82 million project to widen 2.8 miles of State Route (SR) 202 between SR 520 in Redmond and Sahalee Way in rural King County. They also made several safety improvements, including center medians, turn lanes, new signals, improved lighting, and new sidewalks. Before WSDOT broke ground on this project in 2004, driving between the Sammamish Plateau and downtown Redmond was a struggle. The existing roadway and intersections simply weren’t equipped to handle the 25,000 or more vehicles that drove through daily.
With a new lane added in each direction of SR 202, also known as Redmond Fall City Road, crews eliminated a major bottleneck and delivered much needed congestion relief for the growing population in east King County. A new flyover ramp from SR 202 to westbound SR 520 removed freeway traffic from the local roadway and eliminated a double left turn onto westbound SR 520, which was another source of congestion.
Safety was also an issue for this corridor. Only a painted centerline separated opposing traffic on this once-rural highway. Some intersections had no traffic signals and there was no safe place for bicyclists or pedestrians. More than 1,100 collisions were reported from 1995 to 2007. Now, landscaped medians separate opposing traffic. New turn lanes allow through traffic to continue flowing, and left turns are limited to certain intersections. Sidewalks and bike lanes make the route safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
Governor Chris Gregoire and Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond officially cut the ribbon on this project on Thursday, Sept. 18, with the help of commuters who are benefiting from these improvements. One of these commuters, Johnna Jones, says she’s shaved at least 30 minutes off her morning commute.
Crews will continue making improvements to this corridor in early 2009, when they break ground on a project to widen SR 520 between SR 202 and West Lake Sammamish Parkway.
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Maintenance & Operation feature - Cable barrier repair an indication of success
Often the only sign that cable barrier has done its job, is the tire tracks left in the median. |
WSDOT's Tacoma Maintenance crew headed out this past weekend at 2 a.m., Saturday, to repair a 2,000-foot stretch of cable median barrier along southbound I-5 near the Puyallup River Bridge in Tacoma. The cable was damaged earlier in the week during a collision in which a vehicle was prevented from crossing the median into on-coming lanes. No serious injuries were sustained by the driver.
Although this collision was reported, there are instances where drivers hit the cable barrier and simply drive away. As noted in WSDOT's 2008 Cable Median Barrier Report released on Sept. 17, our review of statewide maintenance repair records and a comparison with reported collisions reveals that there may be a substantial number of unreported collisions involving cable barrier. For 2007, we have a record of 482 cable repair reports and 370 reported collisions. Of the 482 repairs, we are able to match about 61 percent (295 records) with collision reports. We estimate that 20 to 40 percent of collisions with cable barrier are unreported. It's reasonable to conclude that the cable barrier successfully brought the vehicle involved to a controlled stop within the median and no serious injuries occurred.
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Update of projects underway
US 2 Index - Crews began permanent repairs to US 2 east of Index on Sept. 15. They will stabilize the slope under a section of roadway that sank over seven feet during record rains in November 2006. Crews will use steel beams to construct a 200-foot-long soldier pile wall. They’ll fill the gaps between the beams with timber to form a solid wall and anchor the beams into the hillside with 40- to 50-foot steel cables. Crews will also install a new drainage system to help prevent further erosion. After they build the wall, crews will repave the road and return the highway to its original configuration. Work is expected to continue through November.
SR 104 Kingston Terminal - On Sept. 22, crews begin work on a week-long project to repair sidewalks damaged by tree roots in both directions of SR 104 near the Kingston Ferry Terminal. Sidewalks will be close during the repair work. This improvement project is a partnership with Kitsap County. WSDOT crews will remove and replace the damaged asphalt and Kitsap County crews will remove the problem trees. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Keeping with ferry schedules, westbound work will take place in the mornings while eastbound work will occur during afternoon hours.
SR 539 (Guide Meridian) Bellingham - On Sept. 16, crews switched drivers to new pavement on SR 538 (Guide Meridian) between Horton and Axton roads. Crews began paving the lanes on the east side of the Guide on Sept. 10. They needed to switch traffic to these lanes to put down the final layer of asphalt on the lanes to the west. Final paving will continue on the remaining traffic lanes for the next two weeks.
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Announcements
WSDOT releases annual report on cable median barrier in Washington State
On Sept. 1 7, WSDOT released the 2008 annual report on cable median barrier in Washington State. The report is a follow up to the June 2007 report requested by Governor Chris Gregoire.
“We’re continuing to monitor the performance of cable median barrier around the state,” said Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond. “This update shows that cable barrier is saving lives on our highways. Since WSDOT began installing cable barrier in 1995, they have been effective in restraining 95 percent of vehicles from crossing the median.”
In addition to updated performance data on the state’s 177 miles of cable median barrier, the report also includes information on the I-5 Marysville median barrier project and ongoing barrier research.
"We will continue to invest in the cable median barrier program because of its proven effectiveness in reducing deaths and serious injuries,” said Hammond. “In areas where cable barrier has been installed, serious injuries and fatalities from crossover collisions have decreased by 73 percent.”
Transportation Research Board recognizes WSDOT with award for "Excellence in HOV/HOT Communication and Outreach"
Mark Bandy of WSDOT's Urban Corridors Office accepted an award on WSDOT's behalf at the TRB HOV Conference for the SR 167 HOT Lanes Project. The award is for excellence in communication and outreach. Project manager, Patty Rubstello, leads WSDOT’s marketing, communications, and outreach efforts for the SR 167 HOT project in Seattle. The approach used by WSDOT utilized multiple techniques and media, and followed the basic principles of successful marketing and public information campaigns. Under Patty’s leadership, the project’s outreach program represented a proactive approach to providing key information on a new HOT project. The use of multiple media, brochures in different languages, and other innovative outreach activities helped ensure the successful introduction of the SR 167 HOT lanes in May of this year.
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Gray Notebook highlight - Seat belt use
Over the past 17 years, the fatality rate on all Washington roadways has decreased 46 percent from 1.85 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled to 1.0 in 2007. When used correctly, seat belts reduce the risk of injury and death by about 70 percent. In 2007, Washington was the second in the national rankings for seat belt use, with a 96.4 percent usage. Our state's seat belt usage rate has been above 90 percent since 2002, when the "Click it or ticket" seat belt project began. Based on type of vehicle, the highest usage rates are among passenger car and SUV's (both 97 percent), while pick-up trucks are lowest at 94.7 percent. Of all types of roads in Washington, interstate highways show the highest seat belt usage rate (97.6 percent) and county roads the lowest (92 percent). Details on this topic can be found in the Annual Highway Safety Update of the June 2008 Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
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September open houses, meetings and events
23, Tuesday, 4 - 7 p.m., Open House, SR 520 Eastside Transit and HOV Project - Bellevue: WSDOT is seeking community comments as we move forward with environmental review and design for the Eastside Transit and HOV Project. We are seeking public comments on our design concepts, including how the new transit stops and community lids will look and function. The Eastside Transit and HOV Project is one of four projects within the SR 520 Corridor Program. Construction on the Eastside project is slated to begin in 2010. Location: North Bellevue Community Center, 4063 148th Avenue NE, Bellevue.
23, Tuesday, 5 - 7 p.m., Open House, W. 39th Street Rail Bypass project - Vancouver: The project team invites community members to learn more about this rail project's construction schedule and effects on local traffic. The at-grade crossing on W. 39th Street will be closed beginning September 29 to facilitate track construction and the beginning of the bridge construction in early 2009. When completed, this project will reduce congestion, increase safety, and help Amtrak’s on-time performance. Location: Discovery Middle School, 800 E. 40th St., Vancouver.
23, Tuesday, 6 - 8 p.m., Open House, SR 542 projects - Glacier: Engineers will be available to answers questions and provide details about three separate projects planned for Mount Baker Highway, in Whatcom County. 1 - Everson-Goshen to Nugents Corner safety project 2 - Gallup Creek Bridge replacement project. 3 - Highway realignment at Church Mountain Road. Questions or concerns can be sent to Dustin Terpening by calling 360-757-5997 or e-mail at terpenid@wsdot.wa.gov. Location: Glacier Chamber of Commerce, 9973 Mt Baker Hwy, Glacier.
24, Wednesday, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m., 520 Tolling Implementation Committee Meeting - Kirkland: The 520 Tolling Implementation Committee will meet to discuss the next phase of public input opportunities.The committee is charged with evaluating tolling for financing the 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Project, engaging citizens and regional leadership in the evaluation, enhancing understanding of tolling alternatives and reporting to the governor and state legislature in January 2009. Location: Kirkland City Hall, 123 Fifth Ave., Kirkland.
24, Wednesday, 6:30 - 9 p.m., Public meeting, Future of the Ferry System - Bremerton: WSDOT's Ferries Division is holding a series of public meetings to discuss the long-range plan for the ferry system. Ferries Division staff will present information about funding challenges, operational strategies and route specific packages. Public comments will help shape the draft long-range plan due out mid-November. Location: Kitsap Conference Center at Bremerton Harborside, 100 Washington Avenue, Bremerton.
25, Thursday, 4:30 - 7:30 p.m., Open House, SR 20 Sharpes Corner vicinity - Anacortes: WSDOT's project team will update the community on our progress on the Sharpes Corner project. A graphic showing what the completed roundabout will look like will be on display. Engineers will be on hand to discuss how the roundabout will improve safety and reduce congestion at the intersection. Location: Anacortes Middle School, 2200 M Ave., Anacortes.
25, Thursday, 5 - 8 p.m., Open House, US 395 North Spokane Corridor - Spokane: WSDOT project team members will host an open house to update community members on the North Spokane Corridor project. Location: Northwood Middle School, 13120 N. Pittsburg, Spokane.
25, Thursday, 6 - 8:30 p.m., Public meeting, Future of the Ferry System - Edmonds: WSDOT's Ferries Division is holding a series of public meetings to discuss the long-range plan for the ferry system. Ferries Division staff will present information about funding challenges, operational strategies and route specific packages. Public comments will help shape the draft long-range plan due out mid-November. Location: South County Senior Center, 220 Railroad Avenue, Edmonds.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Express Lane Archive
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