A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Project of the week – I-5 Boeing Access Road to King/Snohomish County Line Pavement Repair
Crews replacing a concrete panel on I-5 near I-90 in Seattle. |
Have you ever turned up the radio to hear your music over the “bump-ba-bump” noise on I-5? We have a project under way in Seattle to help fix that. That bumpy noise is caused by driving on damaged, rutted, cracked concrete. The ruts are caused by millions of cars driving over concrete that is more than 40 years old. In fact, the pavement on I-5 is at least 20 years overdue for replacement and is falling apart faster than crews can patch it up. But we’ve got a repair plan.
Work is under way to repair more than 20 miles of the most damaged concrete pavement and replace 440 concrete panels on I-5 through Seattle. This includes using industrial grade diamonds to grind down the worst of the worst areas on I-5 between south Seattle and Shoreline. Replacing concrete panels and grinding the surface of I-5 makes the road safer by improving traction and smoothing out the ruts. Grinding the surface of I-5 also will help eliminate the “bump-ba-bump” noise. The grinding process actually uses real industrial diamonds to shave off a thin layer of pavement.
Diamonds are the hardest rock, so they can easily slice through concrete. Thin circular diamond blades are stacked together to make a roller, called the cutting head. The cutting head is rolled over the concrete pavement to grind off the top, uneven layer. The thin blades create a textured, corduroy pattern, and help make the ride smoother and quieter for drivers.
Crews began work on I-5 in early February. Drivers can expect 100 overnight and up to 14 weekend lane closures on northbound and southbound I-5 lasting through the summer. The I-5 Pavement Repair project extends the life of the road until we are able to secure funding to repave most of I-5 between south Seattle and the King/Snohomish county line.
These repairs are putting people to work and allowing taxpayers' money to go further while improving a vital route. Drivers can learn more about the I-5 Pavement Repair project and closures that could affect them on our 2009 construction season Web site.
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Maintenance & Operations feature – Semi-annual viaduct inspection scheduled for March 21 – 22
Crews check for damage during the semi-annual inspection of the Alaskan Way viaduct. |
WSDOT maintenance crews inspect the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle quarterly and twice a year close the viaduct for full inspection to measure whether the structure has settled or has any new damage. Inspections began after the 2001 Nisqually earthquake to closely monitor cracks, structural movement and foundation integrity. Safety is our top priority, and inspections ensure that the road remains safe for the 110,000 drivers that use the viaduct each day.
Both directions of SR 99 traffic between the Battery Street Tunnel and Spokane Street will be closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22. The Battery Street Tunnel will be closed all weekend from 11 p.m. on Friday, March 20 to 5 a.m. on Monday, March 23.
Maintenance crews were called to action earlier this year following the January 30 Kingston earthquake. While this 4.5 magnitude earthquake did not cause any damage to the viaduct or other state bridges, WSDOT crews inspect all potentially affected structures after any earthquake greater than a 4.0 magnitude. This proactive approach helps us keep bridges safe for drivers.
In addition to structural inspections, WSDOT and the City of Seattle coordinate maintenance and preservation work during each viaduct closure. Work this weekend will include:
- Searching for and removing loose concrete on the viaduct.
- Repairing expansion joints and damaged bridge rails.
- Applying a protective covering to exposed rebar.
- Servicing drainage systems and traffic cameras.
- Testing the fire suppression systems in the Battery Street Tunnel, and inspecting its lighting and ventilation systems.
WSDOT will release preliminary inspection results on March 27. Past inspection results are available on the program Web site.
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Update of projects under way
I-5 Bellingham - Crews have decided to delay the start of panel repair work on I-5 near Bellingham by one week because of the recent stretch of cold weather. They hope to begin night work on Monday, March 16. This five-month, $2.8 million I-5 pavement repair project is expected to employ more than 25 workers and three local construction companies. Work will occur from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays for up to three months. Crews will work south toward the Bakerview exit in Bellingham (exit 258). This project will extend the life of I-5 by up to 20 years for the approximately 25,000 drivers who use it I-5 daily.
SR 104 Port Gamble - The SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge west truss arrived safely in Port Gamble Bay on March 7 after weathering strong winds and a snowstorm during the last leg of its 352-mile journey from Vancouver, Wash. Three enormous derrick barge cranes placed the truss – which measures approximately 280 feet long, 70 feet wide and 40 feet tall – onto a storage barge on March 11. It will be moored in Port Gamble Bay until May 1, when six weeks of construction to replace the Hood Canal Bridge’s east half will begin. During May, trusses on both bridge ends will be replaced. The new trusses are 30 feet wider, allowing capacity on the bridge to increase from two to four lanes sometime in the future. The Hood Canal Bridge retrofit and replacement, which is now 90 percent complete, will improve the existing east half, making it wider, safer and more reliable.
SR 112 Port Angeles - After a two-month closure, crews reopened SR 112 to traffic near Joyce on March 12. A temporary, one-way road reconnects a damaged section of SR 112 at the West Twin River Bridge. Crews built a 14-foot-wide gravel roadway to allow alternating traffic through the area. Each direction of SR 112 is signed, alerting motorists of one-way traffic and a reduced speed limit of 25 mph. SR 112 closed on Jan. 8 when a massive slide buckled the pavement and dropped the roadway as much as 8 feet in some places. The $90,000 temporary roadway, constructed by WSDOT maintenance crews, is funded by the Federal Highway Administration. WSDOT is working on design and funding possibilities for a permanent solution.
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Announcements
Gov. Gregoire and WSDOT announces first advertisements for transportation contracts in Kittitas, Pacific counties
On March 9, Gov. Chris Gregoire and WSDOT announced Washington’s first state highway construction “Washington Jobs Now” projects were advertised to contractors. The projects are funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). WSDOT advertised three contracts worth nearly $9 million that will ensure the continued availability of Interstate 90 as a safe and reliable cross-state corridor and will preserve US 101 and SR 103 in Pacific County. In all, WSDOT will build 34 Washington Jobs Now stimulus projects valued at $341 million, supporting an estimated 3,300 jobs.
The three paving projects - west of Ellensburg and east of Keechelus Dam in Kittitas County, and on the Long Beach Peninsula in Pacific County – are the first of several preservation projects in Washington funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Construction on the $3 million west Ellensburg I-90 paving project is scheduled to start as early as April. Contractor crews will grind the existing asphalt pavement and re-pave with asphalt concrete on all lanes and the left shoulders of east and westbound I-90 from the Yakima River to west Ellensburg. The second I-90 contract, a $4 million paving project east of Keechelus Dam, is slated to begin construction in June. WSDOT and our contractor will replace sections of badly deteriorated, cracked, and damaged concrete pavement. In Pacific County, WSDOT’s has planned a roughly $690,000 pave and chip seal project on SR 103 from Long Beach to Ocean Park and a section of US 101 near Fort Columbia. In addition, ADA facilities along SR 103 will be upgraded to meet current federal standards.
WSDOT seeks public comments on Grays Harbor pontoon construction sites
WSDOT wants to hear what the public thinks about potential SR 520 bridge pontoon construction sites in Grays Harbor County. Comments from citizens could help WSDOT narrow the list of sites from three to two. WSDOT is proposing to study the Anderson & Middleton site in Hoquiam and the Aberdeen Log Yard site and publish a draft environmental impact statement later this year. These two sites are more environmentally suited for pontoon construction than the previously considered Port of Grays Harbor IDD #1 site.
Comments will be accepted from March 12 through April 11. Comments can be sent by e-mail to pontoons@wsdot.wa.gov, by phone at 1-888-520-NEWS (6397) or by mail to: Pontoon Construction Project, Attn: Susan Haupt, 600 Stewart Street, Suite 520, Seattle, WA 98101. Comment forms are also available at these Grays Harbor locations:
- Aberdeen City Hall, 200 East Market Street, Aberdeen
- Aberdeen Timberland Library, 121 East Market Street, Aberdeen
- Hoquiam City Hall, 609 Eighth Street, Hoquiam
- Hoquiam Timberland Library, 420 Seventh Street, Hoquiam
- Grays Harbor County Administration Building, 100 West Broadway, Montesano
WSDOT is building pontoons that could be used in the case of catastrophic failure of the SR 520 floating bridge or as part of the planned replacement of the bridge. Construction of the new pontoon facility in Grays Harbor, along with pontoon construction at an existing facility in Tacoma, is scheduled to begin in 2010. Pontoon construction at the new Grays Harbor facility will begin in 2012.
WSDOT Ferries Division increases service with spring sailing schedule
WSDOT Ferries Division (WSF) will add service hours and re-open the Anacortes/Sidney, B.C. route with the beginning of the spring sailing schedule on Sunday, March 29. WSF will provide one round trip sailing per day between Anacortes and Sidney, B.C. through the spring on the 124-car ferry Chelan. Customers are encouraged to make reservations for travel on this route on the WSF Web site or by calling 511.
Other service increases with the spring schedule include:
- Resumes weekend inter-island service in the San Juan Islands.
- Restores eight hours of mid-day service Monday through Thursday between Anacortes and the San Juan Islands.
- Resumes weekend three-boat service on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route (the third boat will operate eight hours a day on Saturday and Sunday).
The complete spring sailing schedule is currently available on our Web site and at locations throughout Puget Sound. The spring schedule will be in effect March 29 through June 20.
WSDOT celebrates 10 years of Amtrak Cascades service in the Pacific Northwest
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), along with partners Amtrak and the Oregon Department of Transportation, is celebrating 10 years of Amtrak Cascades passenger rail service.
Amtrak Cascades is commemorating its 10th anniversary with a special celebration during the second annual National Train Day event on May 9, 2009 at King Street Station in Seattle. Various promotions are also scheduled throughout the rest of 2009. More information on 10th anniversary promotions and offers will be announced on AmtrakCascades.com.
More than six million passengers have ridden Amtrak Cascades over the last 10 years, resulting in a 71 percent increase in ridership since 1999. In 2008, ridership reached nearly 775,000 passengers, making it the most successful year in the history of the service.
“Amtrak Cascades has proven to be a valuable transportation option for Washington travelers,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary. “Whether people are exploring unique Northwest towns and attractions or making an important business connection in urban centers, this rail line is a reliable and economical way to travel.”
WSDOT began working with Amtrak in 1994 to support passenger rail service along the I-5 corridor. In 1999, the new Amtrak Cascades service debuted, providing intercity passenger rail service in the Pacific Northwest from Vancouver, BC to Eugene, OR. Amtrak Cascades service has grown to four daily round-trips between Portland and Seattle, with connecting service between Portland and Eugene and between Bellingham and Seattle, and one daily round-trip between Seattle and Vancouver, BC.
Washington State is one of 13 states that provide operating funds to Amtrak for intercity passenger rail service. Amtrak Cascades uses five European designed Talgo trains for daily operations. Three of the five trains are owned by Washington State, and the other two are owned by Amtrak. Additionally, WSDOT has invested $137 million in capital rail improvements since 1999 to improve the rail line infrastructure, traffic control and safety systems, and station restorations and improvements.
Amtrak Cascades is operated by Amtrak in partnership with the Washington and Oregon Departments of Transportation. For Amtrak Cascades fares and schedules, visit AmtrakCascades.com.
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March open houses, meetings and events
17, Tuesday, 7 - 9 p.m., presentation, I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East - North Bend: WSDOT's I-90 project director will give a presentation regarding the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project to the North Bend City Council. Location: Mt. Si Senior Center, North Bend.
18, Wednesday, 4 - 7 p.m., open house, I-5, Mellen Street to Blakeslee Junction - Centralia: The project team will present recent refinements to the I-5 Mellen Street to Blakeslee Junction project design. The team will be available to answer questions and receive comments from people regarding the project. Location: Centralia Middle School, 901 Johnson Road, Centralia.
18 & 19, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., monthly meeting, Washington State Transportation Commission - Olympia: The Transportation Commission provides a public forum for transportation policy development. As the State Tolling Authority, the Commission sets tolls for state highways and bridges and fares for Washington State Ferries. All Commission meetings are open to the public. Location: Transportation Building, 310 Maple Park Ave. SE, Olympia.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Express Lane Archive
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