Date:
Friday, July 28, 2006
Contact:
Dustin Terpening, WSDOT Communications, (360) 757-5997 (Burlington)
Chris Damitio, Project Engineer, (360) 788-7400 (Bellingham)
NOOKSACK – WSDOT plans to close all lanes of State Route 9 through the month of August and part of September between Nooksack Road and Garrison Road north of Nooksack. This comes on the heels of a three-week closure currently in progress south of East Badger Road. Crews are working quickly to rebuild and widen SR 9 to make room for wider shoulders and lanes, and to make the road more durable during harsh winter weather.
Currently, SR 9 is closed between Lindsay Road and East Badger Road. It has been closed since July 10. Crews will finish rebuilding and widening this section of roadway and will open all lanes to drivers Saturday evening, July 29. Crews made exceptionally fast progress rebuilding the roadway and will open the road four days earlier than scheduled.
Closure
WSDOT and its contractor IMCO Construction will close all lanes of SR 9 for 36 days starting Monday morning, July 31 between Nooksack Road and Garrison Road. During the closure, drivers will follow a signed detour route to help them around the closure.
Detour
Northbound drivers will be detoured west on Badger Road, north on Van Buren Road, east on Halverstick Road, and back to SR 9. Vise versa for drivers heading southbound. Drivers should plan ahead and be prepared for delays. Please leave early and allow extra time in your schedule for the detour route. For a detailed detour map and directions, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr9/nooksaktocherry/map.
Crews will totally reconstruct the highway. Work will include: building a thicker roadway base with crushed rock to help protect the road from heavy tractor trailer rigs that use the highway 24 hours a day; widening the shoulders; and installing a new drainage system.
This work is part of a larger $17 million project to straighten, widen and smooth the highway between Nooksack and Sumas to make it safer and more accessible year round for both cars and trucks. WSDOT will remove three ninety-degree turns from the highway, build three miles of new highway east of the today’s SR 9, and improve drainage beneath the road surface.
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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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