A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
September 29, 2008 Weekly Report - Time 5:00 (mp3)
Project of the Week - Crews closing eastbound SR 522 in Bothell this weekend - Thousands of drivers must take six-mile detour to I-405
Crews work to provide straighter lanes for eastbound SR 522 drivers. |
Crews working on SR 522/UW Cascadia Community College Campus Access project closed eastbound SR 522 between SR 527 and I-405 from 11:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26 to 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 29. During the closure, crews connected the eastbound lanes to a newly built and slightly lower roadway. When the highway reopened, eastbound SR 522 traffic began traveling on the new, straighter lanes.
Drivers were advised to avoid the area during the closure or allow extra travel time and look for signed detours guiding them to northbound SR 527 and southbound I-405 to reach eastbound SR 522. Many heeded the warning and major backups were avoided.
This portion of SR 522 curves around the northern end of Lake Washington and is often used as an alternative to I-5 and I-405 for drivers headed to and from Bothell, Woodinville, Monroe and North Seattle. On Saturdays and Sundays, it carries up to 1,400 vehicles per hour and the six-mile detour could cause delays.
WSDOT is working with the University of Washington and Cascadia Community College to build a new entrance to the south side of the Bothell campus. Crews will also build a new roadway for State Route 522 (Bothell Way NE) from the I-405 interchange to Kaysner Way in Bothell.
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Maintenance & Operations Feature - Snow sticks it to crews at Artist Point
Crews clear Artist Point during temporary closure. |
Snowplows aren’t typically a hot commodity on the first day of fall. But the first day of fall on Artist Point was anything but typical.
On Monday, Sept. 22 at 6 a.m., lead maintenance technician Bill Joyce made his daily run to Artist Point – a routine task this time of year. The only thing not routine was the weather. Its was snowing as he reached the 5,140-foot overlook, and the snow was sticking to the road.
The 2.8-mile road to Artist Point marks the end of SR 542 in Whatcom County. It’s typically closed 10 months out of the year because it’s too dangerous to drive in the snow.
“That road has limited safety provisions on it, and with no guardrail, I can’t leave it open,” Bellingham maintenance supervisor Ron Morton said. “If a tour bus or someone with a two-wheel-drive pickup loses control, they’re over a huge embankment.”
Since the snow posed a safety hazard, Joyce radioed down to the other maintenance crews to bring up a portable barricade to temporarily close the road. By mid-afternoon, the snow had stopped and crews were able to assess the situation. About five inches of snow had fallen, blanketing the entire road in white slush. The forecast for the next few days called for warmer weather – which meant no chance for black ice to form – so crews began the hour-long process of plowing the road. Once the road was clear, crews put down solid de-icer to prevent any ice from forming overnight.
Morton opened the road Tuesday morning. He said that one or two temporary closures are common in the fall, but don’t usually occur until early October. By mid to late October, crews bring in permanent barricades to close the road for the season.
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Update of projects under way
SR 530 Rockport - Crews are building a unique wall along SR 530 south of Rockport to help shift and direct the Sauk River away from the highway. The wall will be comprised of 112 steel pilings, 15,000 cubic yards of fish-friendly fill material, and 355 logs. Work has already started and should be complete by mid October. WSDOT crews will reduce traffic to one lane just south of Rockport as they clear trees and move heavy equipment. The westbound lane of SR 530 will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Drivers can expect delays of up to 30 minutes.
SR 9 Arlington – On Sept. 23, crews began the final paving work on two miles of SR 9 near Arlington, bringing a $20.7 million safety improvement project nearer to a close. Crews are paving SR 9 in half-mile sections from Schloman Road to 268th Street NE, working various shifts until paving and striping is complete. Crews expect to wrap up work by early October, providing warm weather remains in the forecast. When this project is complete, drivers will notice smooth pavement, reflective striping, and new left-turn lanes at 252nd Street NE and 268th Street NE. Drivers have already benefited from a new, straight one-mile section of highway between Harvey Creek Road and 252nd Street NE, which opened to traffic in June 2008.
SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge - Hood Canal Bridge pontoon assembly work was completed Sept. 19 as WSDOT and contractor Kiewit-General connected the final four of 17 pontoons needed to construct the bridge’s new east half. Crews began connecting pontoons U, V, W and X at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle Aug. 12. The operation required that the four pontoons be perfectly aligned, pulled together tightly with steel strands through a process called post-tensioning and grouted. The four pontoons – which stretch to a combined 925 feet – are ready for crossbeams, girders and roadway. The connection of U,V, W and X brings the overall project to 84 percent complete. The final pontoon assembly is another milestone for the Hood Canal Bridge Project and another step toward the six-week closure in May-June 2009.
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Announcements
Pierce County allows WSDOT Ferries Division to keep Steilacoom II ferry for Port Townsend/Keystone ferry route
On Sept. 18, Pierce County and WSDOT agreed on a plan to ensure continuous ferry service for both the state’s Port Townsend/Keystone route and the County’s route from Steilacoom to Anderson and Ketron islands. Pierce County’s ferry, the Steilacoom II, has been leased to WSDOT since February. The County will honor the lease through its expiration in August 2009, allowing the Steilacoom II to continue operating on the Port Townsend/Keystone route. The Christine Anderson, Pierce County’s other ferry, will continue service between Steilacoom and Anderson and Ketron islands.
Ribbon cutting for the Travel Washington Dungeness Line
WSDOT held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 17 celebrating the Travel Washington Dungeness Line bus service from Port Angeles to SeaTac. Travel Washington Dungeness Line is the next step in establishing the Washington Intercity Rural Bus Program. The Dungeness Line service will operate daily and offer two scheduled round trips between Port Angeles and SeaTac. The service is part of the only intercity statewide network in the nation funded through a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) pilot program that matches private sector investments with grant money. WSDOT awarded the grant to Olympic Bus Lines to provide the service.
Intercity bus service is public transportation to a city with the intent of making timed connections to additional cities from rural to urban areas. Intercity transportation is not only about getting from Port Angeles to SeaTac; it is about getting from Port Angeles to any place in the country. All of the Travel Washington routes will make connections with other intercity carriers. This coordination means that people will have reliable transportation to wherever they want to go.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - Contract Cost Comparisons
WSDOT completed 131 highway construction contracts in fiscal year (FY) 2008, representing a 2.9 percent decrease from the number of contracts completed in FY 2007 (136 contracts). For every completed contract, WSDOT tracks final construction costs compared to original engineer's estimate and award amount. Our goal is to be less than 10 percent above the award amount. The total final cost of contracts completed in FY 2008 was $310,216,164, exceeding the engineer's estimate of $298,200,264 by four percent, and the total award amount of $295,354,892 by five percent. More details on this topic can be found in the Construction Contracts annual update of the June 2008 Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
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September and October open houses, meetings and events
September
30, Tuesday, 6 - 8 p.m., Advisory Committee meeting, SR 99 Aurora Bridge Fence - Seattle: WSDOT is designing a fence to deter people from jumping from the Aurora Bridge. WSDOT staff will host a meeting of the SR 99 Aurora Bridge Fence Advisory Committee. WSDOT formed the committee to reflect the interests of community, business and government groups during development of fence designs. Each meeting includes time for public comment. Location: Seattle Pacific University, Otto Miller Hall, Room 109, 3469 Third Avenue W., Seattle.
October
1, Wednesday, 5 - 7 p.m., Open house and design hearing, I-5, SR 501 Interchange - Ridgefield: Project team members will be on hand to discuss the proposed design for the I-5/SR 501 interchange project. This is an opportunity for the public to review and comment on the design. Location: Ridgefield Community Center, 210 N. Main Avenue, Ridgefield.
2, Thursday, 6:30 - 9 p.m., Public meeting, Future of the Ferry System - Bainbridge Island: 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: Bainbridge Island Commons, 402 Brien Drive, Bainbridge Island.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Express Lane Archive
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