Mark,
I moved to Yakima in 1977 and started working at Hanford in October of that year.
I have traveled back and forth to Hanford on SR 24 for over 28 years now. During those years the Department of Transportation has made several improvements to the highway. It is wider, straighter, flatter, and safer now than it was when I started commuting on it.
I am not writing this letter to discuss my driving history however. I am writing about the most recent road improvement made on 24 between Moxee and the Silver Dollar, the rumble strip.
I think it is a great idea and want to thank you for one more improvement that the Department of Transportation has made, to the road upon which I travel everyday, in their ongoing efforts to ensure that I get home safely every night.
The rumble strip has only been in place for about two weeks now, but I have already noticed the reduction in the number of cars that drift over the centerline. Just this afternoon (Tuesday) on the way home I saw a semi coming toward me, drifting over to the centerline. I also saw the immediate correction that the driver made when the wheels of his truck hit the rumble strip.
I have had occasions to pass other cars and have detected no ill effects to my vehicle. If a car can’t stand up to the small vibration present while crossing over the centerline to pass, that vehicle isn’t road worthy to start with.
People may even complain about the noise, but the way I look at it, you aren’t supposed to be driving on the centerline. Move over and the noise will go away.
Thanks again, for keeping our highways safe.
Doug Rohl
Yakima, WA
(E-mail sent to Mark Ettesvold, South Central Region Communications)