Stimulus News You Can Use is one way WSDOT is working to keep transportation stakeholders updated on the fast-moving effort to put people to work and improve the state’s infrastructure. Each edition will have information on project delivery and highlights. Sign up to receive stimulus news e-mail updates. Visit the Newsletter Archive for earlier editions.

This week's stimulus snapshot

• Work begins on a US 97 passing lane and paving project in Douglas County
• North Spokane TIGER project re-advertised June 7 
• Newsletter anniversary 
• Important stimulus dates 
• Useful Recovery Act web links 
• Stimulus data table update
  
  

WSDOT North Spokane Corridor TIGER project advertised – On June 7, WSDOT re-advertised the contract for the US 395 – Francis Ave to Farwell Rd – Southbound Lanes project. WSDOT originally advertised the project on March 22 and received four bidders, but announced on May 12 that all bids were rejected based on ambiguity in the contract documents. Some of the contract requirements were interpreted differently by the participating bidders, most notably the “Buy American Certification.” The tentative bid opening date is July 8. The project received a $35 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) stimulus grant on February 17 and is anticipated to begin construction later this year.

Stimulus Newsletter celebrates anniversary, serves 800 subscribers – Thank you to the readers and contributors who help make the stimulus newsletter one element of how the agency communicates progress on the stimulus program. WSDOT published the first edition of “Stimulus News You Can Use” a year ago and now provides weekly updates to 800 subscribers.

Federal Transportation Blog highlights this week – Check the WSDOT Federal Issues blog for recent items on the Federal Rail Administration’s oversight of high-speed rail, the USDOT draft Strategic Plan, reauthorization, and emissions.

Highlight of the week

US 97 Chelan Falls South passing lane and paving project is under way

A significant safety, mobility, and preservation project on the primary Central Washington route between Canada and Oregon is underway on the east bank of the Columbia River, in Douglas County. The US 97 – South of Chelan Falls Passing Lane project and the US 97 – Orondo Northward Paving project were combined into one, saving thousands of dollars and reducing traffic impacts during construction. The projects not only build a mile-long passing lane in an area with a historically high collision rate, but also resurface 13 highway miles from Orondo north to Chelan Falls.

Funding for the $2.2 million project is a combination of state and federal dollars, which includes $1.88 million of 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. As a result of being selected as a federal stimulus project, construction could be advanced a year.

The safety improvement part of the project constructs a passing lane on US 97, (on the east bank of the Columbia River in west Douglas County), south of Chelan Falls. There have been numerous passing-related collisions due to limited passing opportunities. This project addresses the risk of head-on collisions by providing passing opportunities with a designated passing lane.

The preservation part of the project will upgrade the structural integrity and extend the life of 12.81 miles of US 97's existing asphalt surface. New signage, striping, rumble strips and guardrail are also included in the project.

The project was awarded to Granite Northwest, Inc. for $1.62 million, 2 percent below the engineer’s estimate. Construction began June 1 and  is expected to be completed in August.

Important dates

June 20: Next report due to T & I Committee
July 10: Next performance report due to Office of Management and Budget
July 16: TIGER II pre-application deadline 
August 11: Transit application deadline for TIGGER grants 
August 23: Final TIGER II application deadline
September 30: Deadline for obligating Recovery Act highway funds

Websites of interest

WSDOT ARRA website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/funding/stimulus
WSDOT Federal Transportation Issues blog: http://wsdotfederalfunding.blogspot.com
Washington recovery website: http://www.recovery.wa.gov/
Federal recovery website: http://www.recovery.gov/
FHWA recovery website: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/economicrecovery/index.htm
Federal Transit Administration recovery website: www.fta.dot.gov/recovery
Federal Rail Administration recovery website: http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/2153
Federal Aviation Administration recovery website: http://www.faa.gov/recovery
OMB recovery website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/recovery_default/

This week by the numbers (project dollars in millions)