A Weekly Summary of WSDOT News and Activities
Washington Jobs Now - ARRA funds help improve pedestrian safety in Lynnwood
Crews drill holes for the rebar connecting the new barrier to the bridge deck on the existing 196th Street overpass in Lynnwood. |
Tri-State Construction crews are making great progress on a city of Lynnwood project that will improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists at the I-5/196th Street SW interchange. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided $1.25 million toward the $5.65 million project.
Crews are building a new walkway on the 196th Street SW overpass and a pedestrian bridge over the southbound I-5 off-ramp. The goal of the project is to make it safer and easier to cross I-5 at 196th Street SW on bike or foot. Currently, bicyclists and pedestrians must use a narrow sidewalk on 196th Street SW to travel between east and west Lynnwood. To access the Interurban Trail and Alderwood Boulevard on the west side of the interchange, they must cross 196th Street SW and wind their way through heavily-traveled local streets.
The new barrier-separated pedestrian walkway on the north side of the 196th Street SW bridge provides a safer, wider route across the interchange, separating vehicle traffic from pedestrians and bicyclists on the off-ramp. Finally, an elevated walkway will provide a safe connection to the popular Interurban Trail and Alderwood Boulevard.
Crews started work in August and are on track to wrap up the project by next spring.
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Maintenance & Operations feature - Are you ready for driving on snow and ice?
WSDOT reminds drivers that on ice and snow - take it slow. |
As winter weather sets in all across the state, now would be a good time to pull together an emergency car kit and brush up on your winter driving skills. Use slower acceleration and slower speeds. Avoid heavy steering and braking. Allow extra time to reach your destination during inclement weather - it's not worth putting your own life or the lives of others in danger to save time.
Here are some tips for you to follow:
- Drive with your headlights on.
- Don't get overconfident with four-wheel drive. It won't help you stop any faster.
- Winter road conditions often result in longer stopping distances. Give yourself room. If you have anti-lock brakes, press the pedal down firmly and hold it. If you don't have anti-lock brakes, gently pump the pedal.
- Slow down when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges or shady spots. These all have potential to develop black ice.
- Avoid abrupt actions while steering, braking or accelerating to lessen your chance of losing control.
- Look farther ahead in traffic. Actions by other drivers will alert you to problems and give you extra reaction time.
- Trucks take longer to stop. Don't cut in front of them.
- Avoid using cruise control or overdrive. Don't let your car make a bad decision for you.
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Update of projects under way
SR 7 Pierce County - WSDOT flipped the switch Dec. 3 on a new signal that promises to improve safety at the intersection of SR 7/Mountain Highway and 304th Street East/ Kapowsin Highway in East Pierce County. This intersection has a history of collisions. Since 1999, 32 collisions have taken place at this location resulting in 59 injuries and two deaths. WSDOT awarded Travers Sound & Telecommunications the contract for $237,000 in April 2009.
SR 520 Medina to Redmond - Crews working on three separate projects along the SR 520 corridor between Medina and Redmond are ramping up nighttime work and that means closures and delays for drivers during the busiest shopping season of the year.
Construction work on three different projects:
- Crews working for the city of Redmond building a freeway overpass at NE 36th Street will close SR 520 for 20 nights in Redmond starting Friday, Dec. 4, through Dec. 22. Either westbound or eastbound SR 520 will be closed between 148th Avenue NE and NE 51st Street from approximately 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. The closures will allow crews to install 56 bridge girders for the new overpass, which is designed to ease congestion on city streets in the Overlake area.
- WSDOT crews building sign bridges to hold high-tech electronic signs will have rolling slowdowns. Crews are planning one full closure of eastbound SR 520 at I-405 and three full closures on westbound SR 520 between I-405 and 130th Avenue NE starting Sunday, Dec. 6.
- WSDOT is continuing a project to widen SR 520 between West Lake Sammamish Parkway and SR 202 in Redmond. This work will require single-lane and ramp closures during the midday and overnight hours.
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Announcements
Tacoma Narrows Bridge Citizen Advisory Committee Recommends Toll Rates
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Citizen Advisory Committee is recommending that the Washington State Transportation Commission keep electronic toll rates across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge at the current $2.75 toll and increase the manual toll to $5 for cash payers beginning July 1, 2010.
The advisory committee is a governor-appointed nine-member committee that makes toll rate recommendations to the Washington State Transportation Commission. The advisory committee met several times over the last four weeks to analyze traffic data and revenue forecasts. The committee’s recommendations will be presented to the Washington State Transportation Commission on Dec.16.
The Transportation Commission must consider the advisory committee’s recommendations in determining toll rates for the bridge. The Transportation Commission will release its official toll proposal for public review this spring, with public meetings to follow. The adopted toll rates will be in effect from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.
35th edition of Gray Notebook includes annual Congestion Report, air and noise quality reports, and other performance reporting
A combination of higher fuel prices, the economic recession, and the completion of numerous WSDOT congestion-relief projects helped reduce congestion on state highways in 2008.
Analysis comparing 2008 to 2006 travel times showed that average peak travel times improved on 30 of the surveyed high-demand commute routes in the central Puget Sound. Reliability also improved in 2008, as commuters on 26 of the surveyed high-demand routes in the Puget Sound area saw improvements in ‘95 percent reliable travel times’ and they shaved between one and 16 minutes from their daily drives. Statewide, drivers spent nearly one hour less on average in congestion than they had in 2006. The hours drivers lost, per capita, to delay on the highways declined by 16 percent, and the estimated economic costs of delay also declined by 13 percent.
Compared to 2006, when a dozen Nickel- and TPA-funded highway mobility projects had been completed, a total of 46 such projects were completed and open to motorists by the end of 2008. The Gray Notebook contains an executive summary of the annual congestion report, which for the first time, is a separate publication. The full congestion report can be found online at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Accountability/Congestion/2009.htm.
SR 504 closed for winter season at Hummocks Trail
WSDOT closed SR 504 (Spirit Lake Highway) on November 24, from Hummocks Trail east to the Loowit viewpoint (mile posts 45 to 51). The closure will remain in place for the rest of the winter season. Coldwater Lake will be accessible as weather conditions permit.
WSDOT closes this portion of SR 504 every winter due to hazardous snow and ice conditions and avalanche risk. This year’s closure came about two weeks earlier than in 2008. Weather forecasts call for additional snow to fall this week, adding to the three feet of existing snowpack near Coldwater Lake and increasing risk for drivers on this remote section of highway. SR 504 will be reopened in the spring after it is determined that no more significant snowfall will occur.
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December open houses, meetings, and events
8, Tuesday, 10 a.m. - noon, SR 520 Legislative Workgroup - Seattle: The SR 520 Legislative Workgroup is a group of legislators and transportation officials that will present recommendations on financing and a westside design for the SR 520 corridor to the Governor and Legislature by Jan. 1, 2010. This will be the final meeting of the workgroup as they focus on finalizing recommendations. Location: Union Station, Sound Transit's Ruth Fisher Board Room, 401 South Jackson, Seattle.
10, Thursday, 5:30 - 7:30, public meeting, Climate Change Impacts - Wenatchee: The State Department of Ecology is partnering with the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Fish and Wildlife, Natural Resources, and Transportation. The public meeting is to gather input on the development of the state's integrated climate change response strategy, provide an overview of the strategy framework, and provide background on the need for such a strategy for Washington State. Location: Wenatchee Public Library, 310 Douglas St., Wenatchee.
Express Lane Archive
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