Date:
Monday, March 19, 2007
Contact:
Meagan McFadden, WSDOT Communications, (509) 577-1618
Paul Gonseth, WSDOT Project Engineer, (509) 577-1810
Mike Westbay, WSDOT Communications, (509) 577-1617
YAKIMA – WSDOT and the City of Yakima will celebrate the start of the
US 12 – 40th Avenue Interchange Improvements project at a groundbreaking ceremony on March 21, 2007, 1 p.m. at the Lakeside Business Center in Yakima. Former Senator Alex Deccio, Mayor Dave Edler and WSDOT Regional Administrator Don Whitehouse will be the featured speakers.
40th Avenue and Fruitvale Boulevard is one of the busiest intersections in Yakima; 24,000 motorists travel through the intersection every day. Rush hour motorists can experience delays, congestion and substantial backups. However, motorists will finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief. This project will cut delays at the intersection by almost half, saving daily commuters as much as three and a half hours a year. Less time idling at red lights equates to a savings of 58,000 gallons of gas.
“This project will reduce the amount of time people spend getting through the 40th Avenue/Fruitvale Boulevard intersection,” said Paul Gonseth, WSDOT Project Engineer.
Construction for the $2.1 million dollar project begins this week and should be completed by the first week in June. Once the project is complete, motorists will be able to enjoy a second lane on the US 12 eastbound on-ramp, a second through lane from North 40th Avenue, and better traffic flow due to a more efficient traffic signal light. A new left turn lane for the westbound off-ramp will allow traffic to proceed more quickly through the intersection. The project will also re-connect the Yakima Greenway to local bike and pedestrian pathways.
This is the first project in Yakima to be funded by the 2005 Transportation Partnership Funding Package, which comes from the 9.5 cent increase in the gas tax. For more information on this project visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/US12/40thAveInterchange
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