Date:
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Contact:
Dave Lindberg, WSDOT Project Engineer, (425) 814-7104 (Seattle)
Patricia Michaud, WSDOT Communications, (206) 440-4704 (Seattle)
SEATTLE – The Washington State Department of Transportation is hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 17 to celebrate a new bridge that will carry SR 522 traffic over Fales/Echo Lake Road. Crews are adding the finishing touches to the bridge, which will open to traffic later that evening.
Doug MacDonald, Secretary of Transportation extends WSDOT’s invitation: “Come join us as we open a new overpass that provides a safer and smoother intersection for SR 522 commuters and the surrounding community.”
The event marks a major milestone in delivering an improved SR 522 Fales/Echo Lake Road interchange. This new overpass will benefit motorists in two ways: better traffic flow and increased safety. SR 522 through traffic will continue over Fales Road uninterrupted by a signal. This will result in fewer collisions and delays.
After traffic is running on the new bridge, crews will need to install new signals and complete additional paving, curbing and striping at the Fales/Echo Lake Road intersection. Stop signs will control traffic for about two weeks until the signals are up and running. Crews will also finish building a permanent sand filter near the Snohomish River that will clean stormwater runoff before it reaches the Snohomish River. Project work should wrap up in early October
Construction of the new SR 522 Fales/Echo Lake Road interchange began in June 2004 and cost $41.2 million to build. It includes on- and off-ramps, a new Downes Road and new traffic signals. This project is another step in the overall plan to widen and improve the SR 522 corridor to reduce drive times and increase safety. When all planned projects on SR 522 are complete, drivers will have two lanes in each direction, two new interchanges and numerous safety improvements.
State Route 522 is an important east-west route that runs from I-5 in Seattle to US 2 in Monroe. Significant population growth has resulted in severe congestion on SR 522, especially during the morning and afternoon commute. SR 522 improvement projects will dramatically enhance safety and help decrease drive times. For more information about these projects visit our project Webpage at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR522/Widen/Fales-EchoIC.
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