A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Project of the Week - I-5 safety improvements project wraps up in time for the holidays
New pavement and freshly painted stripes will greet holiday travelers on I-5 in Lewis and Cowlitz counties. |
Travel on I-5 will be safer and smoother as WSDOT delivers multiple safety improvements between Castle Rock and SR 505 through Cowlitz and Lewis counties.
Motorists will drive on more than 14 miles of brand new pavement as they embark on their holiday travels this year. In addition to freshly paved lanes, I-5 was also updated with new striping, upgraded guardrail and more legible signs. In addition, crews stabilized loose concrete panels underneath existing asphalt near the Toutle Hill area and improved lighting along the length of the project.
Safety is WSDOT’s number one priority, and this stretch of I-5 often experiences heavy traffic volumes, which can create ruts in the pavement, loose concrete panels and increased wear and tear on the roadway. The improvements made by this project will help resolve these issues and ensure a safer, smoother ride for motorists. Crews began construction in July 2008 and completed the project on-schedule and on-budget in November.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - WSDOT designs and builds innovative anti-icer facility in Chehalis
Tanks used as part of WSDOT's Chehalis Maintenance anti-icing production center. Crews can create 5,000 gallons of anti-icing product per hour to help keep state highways safe in winter. |
At WSDOT’s Chehalis Maintenance shed, there exists a facility unlike any other in the state. Locally referred to as “the farm,” this unique facility is capable of creating up to 5,000 gallons of anti-icer every hour. It can also store 63,000 gallons of finished product, ready to be pumped into anti-icing trucks whenever winter weather strikes.
The facility was designed and built by WSDOT’s own facilities and maintenance staff. Chehalis Maintenance Superintendent Paul Simonsen had a vision of how the facility should look based on his knowledge of salt brine manufacturing. He also solicited the input of maintenance technicians from his crew and others in the state. With a huge team effort, the facility was complete in six months. It consists of 16 - 10,500 gallon holding tanks used for the salt brine ingredients and the finished anti-icing product. Over 2,000 feet of PVC pipe move ingredients to and from holding tanks. All of the tanks and piping are enclosed in a shallow concrete box to ensure containment of any runoff or spillage from the facility.
A great deal of thought went into the design and construction of the farm. The corrosive nature of salt brine was a serious consideration, and it led the construction team to use moisture-resistant lighting and to encase all interior wiring in sealed plastic conduit. In addition, “every nut and bolt is stainless steel and the walkway across the tank farm is fiberglass,” said Simonsen. “We used galvanized nails and special coatings, and many structures are made of wood so they may better withstand the corrosion,” he added. Other precautions included the strength of the tanks used to hold the salt brine.
This winter WSDOT will conduct a pilot project to test the locally produced anti-icing product on highways in the counties of Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific, Skamania and Wahkiakum, as well as a portion of Pierce County. If successful, the product may be used statewide by WSDOT during the winter of 2009/2010.
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Update of projects under way
SR 9 Arlington - On Nov. 21, crews completed a $20.7 million project to improve safety on two miles of SR 9 near Arlington. WSDOT and contractor Scarsella Brothers crews began construction in spring 2007. In a year and a half, crews built a bridge over Harvey Creek; filled in a dip in the road to improve visibility; straightened a curvy section of roadway and, installed a box culvert at Kackman Creek to improve fish passage beneath the highway.
SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge project - Crews finished grading for one of the park and ride lot that will be used during the May-June 2009 closure of the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge. WSDOT is making sure drivers have a smooth commute if they choose to use park and rides at Shine Pit and Port Gamble. Crews completed grading the 17.5-acre lot at Shine Pit on Nov. 21, and placed crushed rock on approximately 75 percent of the parking area. Site work is on schedule for Dec. 15 when WSDOT will assume lease ownership of the site and start adding lighting and striping. Less than one month ago, crews conclude grading work at the 8-acre Port Gamble park and ride. The park and rides are part of WSDOT’s plan to help drivers get around during the bridge closure. Drivers can leave their vehicles at the secure park and ride lots and catch buses to the water shuttle docks at South Point and Lofall.
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Announcements
Crews re-open State Route 123 following Nov. 13 washouts
SR 123 reopened on Tuesday, Nov. 25, after crews finish stabilizing the roadway following the previous week's washouts. SR 123 closed on Thursday, Nov. 13 when a two-and-a-half-foot rock blocked a three-foot-wide pipe. The resulting flooding scoured the underpinnings of the road causing the highway to washout in three places.
SR123 stretches from the Cayuse Pass summit in Mount Rainier National Park south to US 12 in Lewis County. WSDOT closes Cayuse Pass every winter due to high avalanche risk and hazardous driving conditions. Crews are actively monitoring the weather forecast and expect to close Cayuse Pass in December.
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December open houses, meetings and events
2, Tuesday, 5 - 7 p.m., Citizen Advisory Committee meeting, Tacoma Narrows Bridge - Gig Harbor: The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Citizen Advisory Committee will meet to discuss possible toll rates, to go into effect July 1, 2009. This nine-member Committee is composed of permanent residents of the bridge area, and is required by law to make toll rate recommendations to the Transportation Commission. Location: Peninsula Library, 4424 Point Fosdick Dr NW, Gig Harbor.
2, Tuesday, 5:30 - 7:30, Open house, I-5 Columbia River Crossing - Vancouver: The Columbia River Crossing project team is holding an open house to share information about plans for light rail, the replacement bridge, and improvements for seven interchanges between SR 500 and Columbia Boulevard. The project team is seeking public input on the project designs. Location: Hilton Vancouver Washington, 301 W 6th Street, Vancouver.
3, Wednesday, 5:30 - 7:30, Open house, I-5 Columbia River Crossing - Portland: The Columbia River Crossing project team is holding an open house to share information about plans for light rail, the replacement bridge, and improvements for seven interchanges between SR 500 and Columbia Boulevard. The project team is seeking public input on the project designs. Location: Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center, 2060 North Marine Drive, Hall D, Portland, OR.
4, Thursday, 4 - 7 p.m., Open house, SR 19 & SR 20 Corridor Plan - Chimacum: WSDOT and the City of Port Townsend are collaborating on this corridor study to identify ways to improve safety and reduce congestion on SR 19 and SR 20. Staff will be on hand to answer questions and take public comments. Location: Chimacum Middle School Commons, Chimacum.
4, Thursday, 4 – 7:30 p.m., Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting, Alaskan Way Viaduct - Seattle: The committee will meet to discuss evaluation results related to economic impacts, open space, and pedestrian and bicycle connections for the central waterfront scenarios. The meetings are open to the public; however, there will not be a public comment period. Written or e-mail comments are accepted. Location: Seattle City Hall, Bertha Landes Room.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Express Lane Archive
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