Date:
Monday, December 12, 2005
Contact:
Amir Ahmadi, Project Engineer, (425) 225-8700 (Everett)
Travis Phelps, Public Information Officer, (206) 440-4470 (Seattle)
SEATTLE - Senator Patty Murray, Congressman Rick Larsen, lawmakers, business leaders as well as representatives from the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board and Graham Construction celebrated the opening of the new six-lane 172nd Street Smokey Point Bridge (State Route 531) this morning at the Hawthorn Suites Hotel in Arlington.
"This new bridge is about saving time and money for everyone," said U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.). "Eliminating this major choke point will keep the economies of Arlington and Marysville thriving for years to come."
Traffic on State Route 531 has increased on pace with the population boom in Snohomish County. The amount of traffic on this section of SR 531 has increased 71 percent in the last 10 years. The old two-lane overpass did not have the capacity to handle the high traffic volumes transforming this once free flowing rural corridor into a gridlocked highway filled with commuters.
"As a Congressman who grew up here in Arlington, it has been amazing to watch the tremendous growth surge in my hometown and in Marysville," said U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Everett). "It quickly became clear to me that these cities had outgrown the old two-lane bridge and that I needed to work in Congress to support efforts to build an overpass that could meet the traffic and economic demands."
This bridge was made possible by a community group, known as the Marysville-Arlington Transportation Relief Action Plan (TRAP), which encouraged private businesses, land owners and public agencies to work together to get the money to make the improvements.
“This is a great example of everyone in the community pulling on the same side of the rope,” said TRAP member and local business owner Becky Foster.
A safer less-congested gateway to Smokey Point will help promote and secure future development and business dollars.
“The city of Arlington is thankful for all of our partners stepping forward to make this project happen,” said Arlington Mayor Margaret Larson. “The overpass would not be constructed today without their commitment. The new overpass will help people get to and from Smokey Point area businesses and continue to grow our economy.”
The Smokey Point Bridge also represents an important gateway between Marysville and Arlington, and the Lakewood and Smokey Point-neighborhoods.
“This project is vital to stimulating and encouraging development in Marysville’s north end, which includes the mix of commercial and residential development in the Lakewood neighborhood that’s coming in the near future,” said Marysville Mayor Dennis Kendall.
The new bridge opened to traffic the morning of Friday, Dec. 9, almost two months ahead of schedule. WSDOT originally expected to open all six lanes of the bridge to traffic by February 2006, however, the bridge opened early thanks to fast and efficient work by contractor Graham Construction.
The bridge is part of a larger project to increase traffic flow and improve safety for both drivers and pedestrians through the entire interchange. The new bridge will significantly reduce congestion, enhance safety and improve access to I-5 to and from 172nd Street.
“The project will help fix a notorious bottleneck on SR 531,” said Secretary of Transportation Doug MacDonald. “Thanks to our contractor we were able to deliver the benefit to drivers sooner than expected.”
"This is a small piece of what’s to come," said Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, ranking Democrat on the Senate Highways Transportation Committee. "The voter approved 2005 Transportation Funding Package will pay for a future Smokey Point Interchange ramp improvement project in 2009."
In April, WSDOT demolished the old two-lane bridge that spanned Interstate 5 at 172nd Street in Smokey Point near Arlington. In its place they built a taller, wider six-lane bridge including two westbound left-turn lanes to southbound I-5 to improve growing safety and traffic flow problems in the area. To keep traffic moving during construction WSDOT allowed drivers to use the bridge’s completed north half while crews built the remaining south half, which gave drivers one lane in each direction and ramp access to I-5. For more information visit the project Web page <http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr531/smokeypt>.
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Drivers can now get real time traffic and weather information by dialing 5-1-1 from most phones. This new traveler information system builds upon the highly successful Washington State Highway hotline that managed 4.6 million calls each year. Callers can also use 5-1-1 to get statewide construction, mountain pass condition, and state ferry system information, as well as toll free numbers for passenger rail and airlines. TTY users can call 1-800-833-6388.
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