Date:
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Contact:
Roland Benito, Project Engineer, (206) 786-5973 (Kirkland)
Amy Creekmore, WSDOT Communications, (425) 301-2023 (Bellevue)
KIRKLAND – Crews working for WSDOT contractor Kiewit Construction will return to work today, one week after the death of their co-worker. WSDOT canceled work last week after one Kiewit worker was killed and a second injured when an allegedly impaired driver swerved into a work zone on northbound I-405 in Kirkland last Friday morning. King County prosecutors charged the driver with vehicular homicide on Tuesday.
“We will begin daytime work today and nighttime work will resume next week,” said Kiewit spokesman Kent Grisham. “We remain open to learning from and improving our safety practices based on the conclusions reached in the ongoing investigation. However, it’s time for us to return to work and we are absolutely confident in the safety measures we have in place.”
“Our safety plans help keep drivers and workers safe in our work zones throughout the state,” said Brian Nielsen, WSDOT Construction Engineering Manager. “We are reviewing our plans to see if we can improve them, but the reality is that we can’t make our roads safe if people choose to drink and drive.”
WSDOT and Kiewit are working closely to monitor safety procedures in the construction work zones. “This is our busiest construction season ever, and we need drivers help to make the road safe for them and our crews. We ask drivers to pay attention, stay alert, slow down through work zones and please don’t drink and drive,” said Nielsen.
WSDOT schedules most work requiring freeway lane closures at night to minimize the disruption to traffic during daytime rush hours. Crews will be working days and nights throughout the summer to widen I-405 in Kirkland. Construction closures affecting I-405 traffic in Kirkland the week of June 29 - July 6 include:
- Sunday, July 1 to Friday, July 6, crews may close the right lane in each direction of I-405 between NE 85th Street and NE 116th Street except during rush hours to install lights and paint the noise wall. All work will be suspended and all lanes will be open from noon Tuesday to noon Thursday for the July 4th holiday.
- Thursday, July 5 expect closures of the right lane of eastbound NE 116th Street near I-405 while crews install water connections. Westbound drivers on NE 116th Street will be unable to access the southbound on-ramp.
- Thursday, July 5, crews will close the northbound off-ramp to NE 124th Street to remove barrier, pave the roadway and install lights and cameras.
These closures are necessary for construction of WSDOT’s Kirkland Nickel Stage 1 Improvement Project. For more information or to sign up for e-mail updates, visit http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/i405/KirklandNickelStage1/.
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