Date:
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Contact:
WSDOT NC Region Project Engineer Bob Romine (509) 667-2880
E Mail: rominer@wsdot.wa.gov
WSDOT NC Region Communications Manager Jeff Adamson (509) 667-2815
E-Mail: adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov
WENATCHEE – An emergency highway repair project on SR 26 near Royal City in Grant County will detour travelers off this primary east/west route in Central Washington, for as many as six weeks, beginning at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 21st. About two miles south of the I-90 Vantage Bridge, a roadway failure last fall, created a deep, fifteen-foot diameter sinkhole that undermined the outside truck-climbing lane requiring that lane to be closed all winter. A culvert under the highway had failed and is now being replaced.
This section of SR 26 was constructed in 1954. The four-foot diameter culvert that failed is located at the bottom of a 35-foot embankment. Replacing that culvert requires reconstructing approximately 250-feet of roadway. The new replacement pipe is a high-flow six-foot diameter culvert that meets the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s current flow requirements. An existing five-foot diameter overflow culvert is also being replaced with a new structure. Water now flowing from above SR 26 under the highway down to Sand Hollow will be re-routed around the construction site, utilizing a temporary stream bypass system. Water quality testing will be ongoing throughout the work operations to insure minimal water quality degradation.
A $385,000 emergency contract was awarded to N.A. Degerstrom, Inc. of Spokane, on January 27th. Construction began today with detour signage installation. On Tuesday, February 21st, the full closure of the highway will begin with the detours in place for as many as six weeks. Eastbound trucks will be detoured on I-90 to exit 154, Adams Road, south to SR 26. Eastbound cars will be detoured on I-90 to exit 149, Silica Road, U-SW, 5-SW and Beverly-Burke Road, south to SR 26. Westbound traffic on SR 26 will be provided options to take SR 17 and I-90 or SR 24 and SR 243 to avoid the closure.
For more information visit the Project Web page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/NorthCentral/projects/SR26/SandHollowCulvertRepair/
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