A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Washington Jobs Now – Much needed I-90 concrete replacement project funded by ARRA
Travelers across I-90 Snoqualmie Pass may be delayed as crews work around-the-clock to finish repairs before snow hits. |
If you’ve driven I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass during the past couple of weeks, your travel time may have been affected by the federal stimulus funded I-90 Lake Easton to Bullfrog Road concrete panel replacement construction project between Easton (milepost 70) and near Cle Elum (milepost 80).
WSDOT and contractor crews from Gary Merlino Construction Company, Inc. from Seattle, have been working around-the-clock on the concrete preservation project since after the Labor Day holiday to complete the project before winter. Work began in July and was done mostly at night, until after Labor Day, to minimize impacts to high summer-traffic volumes. This American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) project is estimated to support about 135 jobs over the life of the project.
For the $18.4 million project, WSDOT and construction crews are replacing the deteriorated right-hand lane and shoulders of I-90 in the westbound direction with a new concrete lane and asphalt shoulders. They are also replacing severely cracked panels in the left-hand lane and grinding the surface of the road for a smoother, safer ride.
Crews break up the old concrete panels on westbound I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass. |
Concrete panel replacement is a complicated and time-consuming process. Crews first have to remove the old concrete in the right lane without damaging the concrete remaining in the left lane. They then prepare the dirt, pave a base lift of asphalt, lay steel dowel bars, and pour and flatten the new concrete. The final step in the process is called tinning. Crews drag a specialized rake through the damp concrete to increase the skid resistance and make a smooth ride. The concrete is then allowed to cure.
When this project is complete in November, weather permitting, drivers will experience a smoother, safer ride. The project also restores the structural integrity of I-90 and extends the life of the pavement.
WSDOT urges travelers to know before you go by visiting the project Web page to view travel graphs highlighting the best times to travel and other useful tools. While on the road, drivers can tune into the Highway Advisory Radio at 1610 AM and 530 AM and dial 5-1-1 from their hands-free device for current conditions.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - First snow of the season closes road to Artist Point at Mt. Baker
This photo of SR 542, Mount Baker Highway, taken in July 2009 shows the lower parking lot where maintenance crews close the road leading up to Artist Point. |
Crews arrived to find the first snow fall of the year at Mt. Baker on Tuesday morning, Sept. 29. The snow blanketed Mount Baker Highway (SR 542) and the surrounding area up to 4 inches deep. With more snow predicted for Tuesday night and later in the week, WSDOT maintenance crews made the decision to close the road for the season. The snow and closure didn't come as much of a surprise because weather forecasters had been calling for the snow level to drop to 4,000 feet. Artist Point sits at 5,100 feet, well above the snow line.
Artist Point is a popular tourist destination with 360-degree views of Mt. Shuksan and Mt. Baker and provides access to a variety of trails. Crews try to keep the road open for as long as possible, but when it snows, that short, 2.7-mile stretch of road can get pretty treacherous. The road doesn't have many of the typical safety features that you'll find on most of our roads in the state. The narrow, windy road is lined with steep cliffs and doesn't have guardrail to protect drivers.
Artist Point typically opens in July and remains open until the first substantial snowfall of the year, which usually comes in late September or early October.
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Update of projects under way
Crews put down a fresh layer of asphalt on US 2 in Snohomish County. |
US 2 Monroe - Drivers are enjoying smoother, safer pavement and bright new pavement markings on five miles of US 2 between Monroe and Sultan thanks to the Recovery Act. Crews wrapped up the $2.1 million project on Oct. 1, just in time for the rainy fall season. Crews repaired parts of the highway, laid fresh asphalt, and upgraded the centerline and shoulder rumble strips. They also restriped the roadway with an innovative new type of striping, known as “pathfinder” striping. The striping is designed to be more reflective in adverse weather conditions and at night. The striping material has a unique texture and is very tough, so it remains reflective even after some snowplowing.
US 2 Newport - Crews are wrapping up a pavement project on US 2 from SR 211 through Newport in Pend Oreille County. Work included grinding out the existing pavement and repaving with new asphalt. Other work included guardrail upgrades, slope finishing, electrical upgrades, and installing rumble strips. The $5.1 million project was funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
I-90 Snoqualmie Pass - WSDOT and Signal Electric Crews, Inc. of Kent finished installing eight low-light traffic cameras on I-90 west of Snoqualmie Summit (milepost 46.8) to Cle Elum (milepost 84.6). The new traffic cameras are equipped with infrared illuminators to provide around-the-clock views of highway conditions. The public can view these cameras from the mountain pass condition Web page or WSDOT’s statewide traveler information page. “Not only will WSDOT crews have a better idea of conditions on the roadway at night, drivers can also plan their evening trips based on the travel and weather conditions they see from the cameras and other information on our Web site,” said Rick Gifford, WSDOT Traffic Engineer.
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Announcements
Number of completed Recovery Act highway projects on the rise
Nearly 40 stimulus-funded projects completed through September
As the summer construction season winds down, the number of completed Recovery Act projects is beginning to climb. In September WSDOT and local governments across Washington completed an additional 30 Recovery Act highway projects, bringing the reported number of completed projects to 38.
Transportation improvements keep transportation contractors working. Contractor payrolls continued to grow during the month of August with employees working over 250,000 hours and earning more than $9.3 million on state and local Recovery Act highway projects. It was the busiest month yet for stimulus employment as payroll increased $3.9 million (72%) and labor hours increased almost 108,000 (75%) from July. Workers earned an average salary of $37.
As a whole, WSDOT and local governments have obligated $357.4 million (73%) of the state’s $492 million in Recovery Act funds. Washington has obligated funds to 177 (93%) of the current 190 projects certified by the governor. Agencies have until March 1, 2010 to obligate the rest.
The Federal Highway Administration provided $492 million for state and local highway projects in Washington state, advancing projects and jobs to address high-priority highway preservation needs and fund low-cost, high-benefit transportation system improvements.
Grand opening ceremony held for enhanced Park & Ride lot in Lacey
State, local and transit officials celebrated the expansion of the I-5 Martin Way Park & Ride lot in Lacey. |
It’s been years in the making, but the expansion of the most-used park and ride lot in Thurston County is now complete and a cause for celebration. On Sept. 30, representatives of WSDOT, Intercity Transit and the City of Lacey celebrated the completion of the Martin Way Park and Ride project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Park and ride capacity is a problem throughout Washington, so we are proud to celebrate when projects like this are completed,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary. “In many urban areas, there is more demand for parking at key transit stops than what is available. In this case, the project doubled the size of the lot.”
The facility, located on Martin Way adjacent to Interstate 5 at exit 109 in Lacey, received a much-needed facelift with the number of parking stalls more than doubling to 318 spaces for bus, carpool and vanpool users. Additional improvements include a new transit island with bus shelters and information kiosk, sidewalks and pedestrian access, lighting, security cameras and environmentally sustainable landscaping. The total project cost is $2.795 million, which includes the value of the state DOT property ($906,000) used for expansion. The construction was funded through a state Regional Mobility Grant of $1.259 million and a local match of $630,000 from Intercity Transit.
The lot is served by both Intercity Transit and Pierce Transit commuter express service, connecting Olympia and Lacey with destinations in Lakewood, downtown Tacoma, Tacoma Mall and the Tacoma Dome Station.
Ferry fare changes go into effect Sunday, October 11
WSDOT's Ferries Division (WSF) reminds customers of two fare changes that will go into effect on Sunday, October 11. On that date, the peak season surcharge ends and a systemwide 2.5 percent fare increase goes into effect.
Per state tariff law, WSF implements a 25 percent peak season surcharge for full fare vehicle/driver tickets each year from May 1 until the second Sunday in October. On the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route passenger single fares increase 20 percent during the peak season and vehicle/driver fares increase 35 percent. Fares will return to the lower, non-peak season rates on Sunday, October 11.
WSF will also implement a 2.5 percent fare increase on all routes on Sunday, October 11. Central Puget Sound passenger fares will rise from $6.70 to $6.90; the car and driver rate will go from $11.55 to $11.85. This fare increase was set by the Washington State Transportation Commission, the statewide authority that sets all highway and bridge tolls and ferry fares. This is the first across-the-board ferry fare increase since May 2007.
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October open houses, meetings and events
7, Wednesday, 10 - 11 a.m., Ribbon-cutting, SR 16 Burley Olalla Interchange - Kitsap County: State and local officials will gather with community members to celebrate completion of the SR 16 Burley Olalla Interchange, which eliminates the last at-grade intersection between Tacoma and Gorst. Location: Burley Olalla Road off SR 16.
7, Wednesday, 4 - 7 p.m., Open house, SR 14 construction projects - Washougal: WSDOT staff will be available to provide information and answer questions about four construction projects that will be built next summer along SR 14. Included are the Camas-Washougal Interchange, Marble Road to Belle Center Road Safety Improvements, Rockfall Mitigation White Salmon Vicinity, and Cape Horn Bridge to Cape Horn Safety Improvements. Location: Mt. Pleasant Elementary School, 152 Marble Road, Washougal.
9, Friday, 1 - 2 p.m., Celebration Event, Amtrak Cascades expanded service - Seattle: Governor Chris Gregoire and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell will lead the celebration for the launch of the second Amtrak Cascades train service to Vancouver, B.C. After two years of hard work to complete operational projects and overcome challenges to start the service, the train began operating on August 19. Location: King Street Station, 303 S. Jackson Street, Seattle.
Express Lane Archive
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