A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Washington Jobs Now - Stimulus funded project will help reduce crossover collisions
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Crews are using this machine on US 195 near Colfax to cut rumble strips into the highway centerline. About 3 to 4 miles can be completed per day.
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Contractor crews working for WSDOT began construction on a safety project in eastern Washington aimed at reducing crossover collisions.
The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is funding this project which will install centerline rumble strips on total of 86 miles of state highways in Spokane, Stevens and Whitman counties. North Star Enterprises, Inc. of Liberty Lake is the prime contractor on the job with a construction bid of $314,413.
Centerline rumble strips are a proven low-cost method of dramatically reducing crossover collisions by alerting inattentive drivers that they are crossing into oncoming traffic. The rumble strips will be installed on US 195 from just north of Colfax to Rosalia. On US 395, the strips will go in from Loon Lake to Colville in Stevens County. In addition, centerline rumble strips will be installed on the full length of SR 902 except inside the City of Medical Lake. Federal Stimulus funding allowed WSDOT to add another 18 miles to the project on US 195.
This project is another example of how federal stimulus dollars are putting people to work and providing projects that will have lasting safety benefits long after the work is done.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - WSDOT crews motivate high school students at Construction Career Day
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WSDOT helped high school students learn about careers in the construction industry during the Construction Career Day event in Seattle.
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Skilled WSDOT professionals and volunteers from local trade venues gave more than 1,000 high school students a sneak peak into the world of construction at Construction Career Day 2009 on September 29 – 30 in Spokane, September 30 - October 1 in Seattle, and October 6 in Yakima.
Local students, and some from as far as Oregon, tried their hand at a variety of hands-on activities, including operating heavy equipment, loading an excavator and reading a survey map. In Seattle, WSDOT's Northwest Regional Administrator Lorena Eng inspired participants to take advantage of construction career opportunities, apprenticeships and skills training that could lead to a successful and gratifying career in construction.
“When I was in high school there was a lot of pressure to attend college. However, four-year universities are not for everyone,” said Lorena Eng. “Construction Career Day provides exposure to construction careers that are just as respected as careers that require an advanced degree.”
According to The Associated General Contractors of America, the construction trades are facing a severe shortage of skilled workers. Construction Career Day addresses this shortage by introducing high school students to well-paying careers that are not in keeping with a traditional four-year college degree. Construction Career Day events are held in states across the country and were introduced by the Federal Highway Administration in 1999 as a way to spur young people’s interest in the construction industry.
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Update of projects underway
I-5/I-90 Seattle – Crews are working late at night drilling shafts for future sign bridges in the Seattle area. Work affects drivers headed eastbound on I-90 from southbound I-5 from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. the following morning, Monday, Oct. 12 through Thursday, Oct. 15. The ramp will be closed and drivers will follow a signed detour. Crews are laying the groundwork for a series of electronic speed-limit and lane status signs above I-90 between Seattle and Bellevue. The new signs, scheduled to be activated in spring 2011, are the latest smarter highways technology aimed at increasing safety and reducing collisions.
I-205 Vancouver - After nearly 18 months of construction, WSDOT is delivering a direct connection to NE 112th Avenue from northbound I-205. The connector will be opened following a ribbon cutting celebration on Monday, Oct. 12. A $26 million partnership project with the City of Vancouver, the new 112th Connector will relieve congestion and improve safety on the I-205 ramp and Mill Plain Boulevard by allowing drivers exiting I-205 to bypass the busy intersection at Mill Plain and connect directly to NE 112th Avenue. This project is part of strategic improvements to the I-205 freeway ramp network that have been in the planning stages for many years.
US 97 Goldendale - Drivers on US 97 near Goldendale and Satus Pass are enjoying a safer, smoother ride as WSDOT wraps up another stimulus-funded preservation project. Construction began on the $3.8 million US 97 – Centerville Rd. to Bickleton Rd. and Satus Pass paving project in July and was complete late September. The project paved nearly 12 miles of US 97 between Goldendale and the Satus Creek bridge (mile posts 7.49 to 30.81). US 97 is a major freight route and an essential link between central and southwest Washington. US 97 Satus Pass carries an average of 3,900 vehicles per day.
US 101 Artic - Crews completed a fish barrier removal project Oct. 5 on US 101 at the SR 107 interchange near Artic. Since August, one-way, alternating traffic had been diverted onto a temporary roadway alongside US 101 while crews worked on a $728,000 project that removed a fish barrier. Crews installed a new three-sided concrete culvert measuring 137 feet long, 10 feet high and 16 feet wide. This new culvert allows fish to reach upstream habitat.
US 101 Raymond - Crews wrapped up the US 101, SR 6 to Grays Harbor County Line paving project in north Pacific County on Oct. 7. Construction began in July on this $2.8 million project, which resurfaced nearly nine miles of US 101 between SR 6 in Raymond and the Grays Harbor County line (mile posts 58 to 67), improved intersections in the city of Raymond, and brought sidewalk ramps in Raymond up to current Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
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Announcements
WSDOT Ferries Division receives $2.3 million federal grant to improve vessel engine efficiency and air quality
The Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division (WSF) has received a $2.3 million federal grant to retrofit vessel engines to produce fewer harmful emissions. WSF participated in a national competition for the Federal Highway Administration’s Ferry Boat Discretionary funding program. This grant will be used to leverage existing funding in an effort to upgrade diesel engines throughout the fleet to burn less lubrication oil and produce fewer harmful emissions. WSF also recently received a $2.1 million federal grant as part of the Puget Sound Regional Council Surface Transportation Program/Congestion Mitigation Air Quality 2009 regional competition.
“WSDOT takes its role as an environmental steward very seriously, and we welcome this assistance from the federal government,” said Washington State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond. “This grant funding will make a significant contribution to our efforts to reduce pollution in the Puget Sound region and make our vessels more energy efficient.”
Since 2003 WSF has been actively taking steps to reduce fleet diesel emissions while improving fuel conservation. The ferry system is one of the largest users of diesel fuel in the Puget Sound region, at approximately 17 million gallons per year. The diesel engine retrofit project will help to further improve efficiencies and will lead to improved air quality for the region.
Burley Olalla interchange removes last at-grade intersection on SR 16
Driving on SR 16 got safer on Oct. 7 when WSDOT and contractor Ceccanti, Inc., open the new interchange at Burley Olalla Road. The $24 million project eliminates the last at-grade intersection on SR 16 and dramatically improves access to and from the highway. The new interchange was completed more than nine months ahead of schedule and $1.2 million under budget. This accomplishment was celebrated by state and local officials Wednesday, Oct. 7 during a ribbon-cutting event at the site.
The new interchange, which adds new bridges to carry traffic over Burley Olalla Road, accommodates future SR 16 expansion. Approximately 42,000 drivers use SR 16 through Burley Olalla each day. The project also enhances the environment by rechanneling two streams and installing wider culverts for improved fish passage.
US 97 Beebe Bridge opened to unrestricted traffic Friday, Oct. 9
WSDOT reopened the US 97 Beebe Bridge to all traffic on 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9. The bridge was closed when it was damaged by a truck accident on Aug. 31. It has been open to single lane, piloted traffic since Sept. 28, four weeks after the closure began.
“It is a tribute to the engineers and technicians,” said Project Engineer Brantley Bain, “They accomplished in weeks what should have taken months.” Since the accident, WSDOT staff and private contractors worked around the clock to repair the bridge.
Pedestrians were allowed on the bridge the day after Labor Day and WSDOT contracted with LINK transit for shuttles from the parking lots at Chelan County Public Utility District’s nearby Chelan Falls Park to the west end of the bridge and then up to the city of Chelan and back.
“We’re grateful to LINK, the PUD, the School District, Chelan and the many businesses that accommodated the inconvenience that the pedestrian-only access across the bridge imposed,” said Bain.
Washington applies for more than $1.3 billion in second round of ARRA High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail grants
Continuing its pursuit of a portion of the $8 billion available through the ARRA High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program, WSDOT applied for more than $1.3 billion in ARRA stimulus funds for the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor.
Washington State submitted its application in this second round for Track 2 projects, Service Development Programs, which is intended to develop high-speed passenger rail corridor projects that bring a benefit greater than the sum of individual projects. WSDOT has a total of 26 capital rail projects that qualify under Track 2 which also includes the projects that were included in the first round of applications submitted on August 24. If all 26 projects receive ARRA funding, they could create up to 13,900 new jobs. On-time performance for Amtrak Cascades would improve by 23 percent overall and enable an increase in seating capacity of 776,720 per year.
WSDOT has been working with the BNSF Railway and others to develop intercity passenger rail service in the Pacific Northwest for over 15 years. This successful partnership has resulted in the delivery of nearly 40 construction projects that have added rail line capacity, improved public safety, relieved rail line congestion, and allowed for faster, more frequent Amtrak Cascades intercity passenger rail service between Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C.
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October open houses, meetings and events
12, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m., Ribbon-cutting, I-205, 112th Connector - Vancouver: Congressional, state and local officials, will help WSDOT and Selby Bridge Co. celebrate the completion of a new connector ramp that provides drivers direct access to NE 112th Avenue from northbound I-205. A $26 million partnership project with the City of Vancouver, the new 112th Connector will relieve congestion and improve safety on the I-205 ramp and Mill Plain Boulevard by allowing drivers exiting I-205 to bypass the busy intersection at Mill Plain and connect directly to NE 112th Avenue. Location: On the new connection from I-205 northbound to 112th Avenue, Vancouver.
14, 5:15 - 7 p.m., Edmonds/Kingston Partnership meeting - Edmonds: The state Legislature directed WSDOT Ferries Division (WSF) to conduct a pre-design study on vehicle reservations. This study is intended to identify the technology and needed capabilities for a vehicle reservations system that could be applied to all WSF routes, if found appropriate. WSF identified Edmonds/Kingston as the first route to be evaluated for the new technology identified in the pre-design study. The pre-design report is due to the Legislature before the 2010 session, with a draft to be submitted by Dec. 15, 2009. Location: Edmonds City Hall, 121 5th Avenue N., 3rd floor, Brackett Meeting Room, Edmonds.
For more details, please visit the WSDOT Calendar of Events.
Express Lane Archive
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