A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Project of the Week - WSDOT selects design-builder to construct new bridge, safer roadway for SR 532 in Stanwood
The Gen. Mark W. Clark bridge will be replaced as part of an $82 million safety improvement project on SR 532 near Stanwood. |
The Washington State Department of Transportation has selected design-builder Parsons/Kuney, Joint Venture to construct $82 million in safety improvements on SR 532 near Stanwood. Crews will start construction this summer, joining the $6.4 billion in projects across the state that will either be completed or under way.
The Parsons/Kuney team brings a long history of helping WSDOT successfully deliver complex projects on time and within budget.
Parsons Corporation, based in California with local offices in Seattle, will prepare the design portion of the project. They have engineered more than 10,000 miles of roads in 40 countries including WSDOT’s I-405 corridor program and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Max J. Kuney Construction, based out of Spokane, will construct the SR 532 improvements. They have more than 75 years experience working with WSDOT, including the state’s first design-build project at the SR 500/Thurston Way Interchange.
Parsons/Kuney will begin design in early March after receiving the final approval from WSDOT to move forward. The team will seamlessly move into construction this summer and can start some work, such as building bridge footings, before finishing the entire design. A design-build approach enables crews to start construction early giving the project a jump-start to save time.
SR 532 crews expect to start construction in July and plan to have all lanes open to traffic by mid-2011. The project work includes:
- replacing the General Mark W. Clark Memorial bridge.
- improving intersections between Camano Island and I-5, including new left- and right-turn lanes.
- constructing a westbound truck-climbing lane between 12th Avenue NW and 28th Avenue NW.
- constructing an eastbound truck-climbing lane between Pioneer Highway and 72nd Avenue NW.
- repaving the section of road between 270th Street NW and 72nd Avenue NW.
- building highway stormwater run-off treatment facilities.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - Winter weather-damage lingers on; WSDOT crews busy with repairs
WSDOT will use paint-striping equipment like this to freshen the lane stripes after winter damage. |
WSDOT Maintenance crews in southwest Washington will be busy next week replacing damaged pavement markings on some of the areas busiest highways. Motorists traveling both directions on I-5, SR 500, SR 503 and SR 14 can expect 10 - 15 minute delays, periodic right-lane closures and rolling slowdowns between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day, Monday through Thursday, Feb. 2 - 5.
The striping was damaged by snow clearing efforts in December 2008. This work will replace striping in some of the highest-priority areas, including I-5 from Clark County through Cowlitz County to the Lewis/Thurston county line, and SR 500, 503 and 14 in Clark County. Other, similarly damaged striping and reflective markers will be replaced later this year. This work is highly weather sensitive and requires mild temperatures and dry pavement. Striping may be rescheduled if conditions warrant.
WSDOT reminds motorists to observe warning devices and not cross new pavements or freshly painted striping. According to state law, “no person shall ride or drive any animal, bicycle, or vehicle, across any newly made pavement or freshly applied markings on any highway when a sign, cone marker, or other warning device is in place warning persons not to drive across such pavement or marking.” The fine for driving in such zoned-off area is $86.
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Update of projects underway
I-5 Burlington - Crews finished demolishing the east span of the SR 11/Chuckanut Drive overpass in Burlington and reopened northbound I-5 to drivers on time. The second night of closures for demolition has been canceled because crews finished in one night. Northbound I-5 was closed and drivers were detoured off the interstate from 11 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, to 5 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, during demolition. The overpass will remain closed for up to two months while crews replace the east span, which was damaged in July 2008 when a truck towing construction equipment hit it.
SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge - With a six-week SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge closure less than four months away, WSDOT and Kiewit-General crews this week began building docks at South Point in Jefferson County and Lofall in Kitsap County. The docks will serve as the launch points for temporary passenger-only water shuttle service during the bridge closure that begins May 1. The first of four 80- to 100-foot long pilings were driven at South Point Tuesday and crews began driving the remaining four piles at Lofall on Wednesday.
Once complete, the pilings will secure two 30-foot by 80-foot floating docks in place. The docks and 150-foot gangways will be installed in late March and early April, providing travelers access to the water shuttle service.
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Announcements
WSDOT releases Amtrak Cascades Mid-Range Plan for next eight years
WSDOT has completed the Amtrak Cascades Mid-Range Plan as directed by the Washington State Legislature. The Amtrak Cascades Mid-Range Plan identifies options to achieve enhanced Amtrak Cascades services for the next eight years. The plan provides Washington State policymakers with four strategic investment options for infrastructure development. These plan options will enhance service capacity, improve on-time performance, and increase ridership on the segment between Seattle and Portland over the next eight years.
The mid-range plan:
- Identifies the needs of intercity passenger train services.
- Assesses the potential of passenger rail as a strategic multimodal transportation solution.
- Specifies the steps of improving infrastructure to deliver additional intercity passenger services.
- Links capital and operational investment to ridership growth and economic and societal benefits.
- Provides a variety of information to support informed decision making processes—legislative budgeting and prioritizing.
Passenger-only service on Port Townsend/Keystone route to continue through mid-February
WSDOT's Ferries Division (WSF) will continue to provide passenger-only service on the Port Townsend/Keystone route through mid-February, while the leased auto ferry, Steilacoom II, is in drydock. WSF will extend its contract with Mystic Sea Charters of Anacortes, which has been providing passenger-only service since Jan. 5 on the 77-passenger Mystic Sea. This passenger-only service is running approximately two weeks longer than expected.
The Steilacoom II that WSF leased from Pierce County is in drydock for routine maintenance and its U.S. Coast Guard required annual inspection. Todd Pacific Shipyards repair crews recently discovered that additional work is needed on the vessel, which will extend its drydock period. It is currently anticipated that it will return to service on Sunday, Feb. 15.
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Gray Notebook Highlight - Rail projects aimed at reliability and capacity
Among the more than 40 capital rail projects managed by WSDOT, 10 directly support Amtrak Cascades. When complete, these projects will reduce rail congestion, improve safety, upgrade track, improve reliability and provide additional rail capacity. These projects include:
- Blaine customs facility siding
- Everett curve realignments
- Kelso to Martin's bluff
- King Street Station track improvements
- Mt. Vernon siding upgrade
- Point Defiance bypass project
- Stanwood new station
- Stanwood siding upgrades
- Tenino high-speed crossovers
- Vancouver rail project
More information about these projects can be found at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/rail. More details on rail transportation can be found in the Rail Quarterly Update of the December 2008 Gray Notebook at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Express Lane Archive
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