Date:
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Contact:
Alice Fiman, WSDOT Communications, (360) 705-7080
OLYMPIA – Enjoy your time with family and friends more by checking the road reports before you go. With expanded information on the WSDOT Website, drivers can find the best time to travel Washington highways over Thanksgiving weekend.
WSDOT has tracked information for four key holiday travel routes, I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass, US 2 over Stevens Pass, I-5 south of Thurston County and I-5 near the U.S./Canadian Border. The information is available on our Website www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2007/11/15_ThanksgivingTraffic.
WSDOT warns drivers most highways and local roads will be busy on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 22), and the Sunday following Thanksgiving. Traffic near area shopping centers will also increase Friday, Nov. 23. WSDOT is working with the Washington State Patrol to keep drivers safe and traffic moving, and will have additional Incident Response Teams and maintenance crews ready.
Passenger-only Service Begins onPort Townsend-Keyston Ferry Route Effective Nov. 25.
Washington State Ferries (WSF) begins passenger-only ferry service on the Port Townsend/Keystone route on Sunday, November 25, with the 3:45 p.m. sailing out of Port Townsend and 4:30 p.m. sailing out of Keystone. The 149-passenger M/V Snohomish will keep the current schedule on Monday, November 26, but starting Tuesday, November 27, the schedule will be adjusted slightly to better connect with Island Transit services at Keystone. A revised schedule will be available on Monday afternoon on the website and at both terminals. The Snohomish is not expected to be impacted by tides.
The passenger fares will remain the same on this route, $2.60 one-way full fare. Wave2Go multi-ride cards are also accepted. The terminal holding lanes on either end of the route will serve as “park and ride lots” for passengers.
The Port Townsend/Keystone route has been without service since the last sailing on November 20. “We are doing everything we can to make this easier on the traveling public and the communities we serve,” said WSDOT Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond.
To better serve passengers during this time, WSF is coordinating with regional transit providers to help riders set-up temporary vanpools and other services. Customers on Whidbey Island can call Island Transit at (360) 321-6688 ext. 3 (or toll free at 800-240-8747) to set up a temporary vanpool. Other transit agencies can help customers discuss their options, including Jefferson Transit (800-371-0497) and Kitsap Transit (800-501-7433).
Other measures have also been put in place to lessen the affects of the loss of vehicle service on the Port Townsend-Keystone route. These include:.
- All pre-paid tickets for the Port Townsend-Keystone route (including multi-ride cards) will continue to be honored on the Mukilteo/Clinton and Edmonds/Kingston route.
- Working with individual commuters to determine the easiest most cost-effective way to commute during this time. Customers can call 1-888-808-7977 and ask to be transferred to extension 3460 for assistance.
For more information visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries.
Background
Washington State Ferries owns four 80-year-old Steel Electric class vessels – Quinault, Klickitat, Illahee and Nisqually. These vessels predominantly serve the Port Townsend/Keystone and San Juan Islands inter-island routes. They are the only ferries in the system capable of operating in Keystone’s narrow and shallow harbor.
On Tuesday, November 21, Hammond announced that Washington State Ferries would pull all Steel Electric class vessels out of service due to concerns about their safety. Ongoing work on the Quinault revealed significant hull pitting along the keel that likely extends to all four Steel Electric vessels.
“Our first priority is to assess the full range of hull pitting in each vessel and determine the extent and the cost of needed repairs. Depending on what is found, the next step will be repair or retirement of the Steel Electrics,” Hammond said.
Cayuse Pass to Reopen Wednesday (SR 123)
A section of State Route 123 within Mount Rainier National Park will reopen at noon this Wednesday, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. The highway has been closed from the SR 410/SR 123 junction to Stevens Canyon Road since Tuesday, Nov. 13, after several large rocks fell onto the highway from the hillside above the northbound lane.
“Federal geotechnical experts carefully examined the hillside above the highway and determined that two large rocks we were concerned about are stable and the road is safe for travel,” said Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga. “We are excited to reopen SR 123 for holiday travelers.”
To protect drivers WSDOT maintenance crews will place warning signs and traffic cones around the ditch where the rocks fell last week. The rocks will be broken up and removed once SR 123 closes for the season.
WSDOT provides historical travel data and up-to-date information on its Web site, but reminds drivers the travel time information is based on typical traffic patterns and any traffic incidents or inclement weather could increase traffic delays.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, WSDOT maintenance supervisors will monitor weather reports and call out additional personnel and extra plow trucks with anti-icers if forecasts call for ice or snow conditions on mountain pass highways. WSDOT Traffic Management Center (TMC) operators monitor Washington State Patrol reports, weather reports and traffic cameras, dispatching crews accordingly.
Motorists are advised to slow down, drive for conditions and prepare their car for winter travel. On WSDOT’s updated winter Web site,
www.wsdot.wa.gov/winter, drivers can find links to all kinds of winter driving-related information including preparing a vehicle for winter driving, a list of winter emergency kit items, safe driving tips and information on mountain pass travel advisories.
Drivers can access WSDOT’s mountain pass report information via the Web at
www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes or by calling 511, the travel information phone line.
Know Before You Go:
WSDOT offers several ways to get up-to-date traffic and construction information from our Web site at
www.wsdot.wa.gov before you leave your home or office.
At
www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/weather drivers can look at weather forecasts and road temperatures throughout the state.
At
www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts, the color-coded map shows statewide traffic conditions, including construction delays and highway incidents.
511 - This driver information phone line provides real-time traffic, incident and closure information. TTY users can call 1-800-833-6388.
Drivers with Web service on their cellular phones and PDAs can access small-screen I-90 pass updates at:
www.wsdot.wa.gov/small by clicking on the "mountain pass reports" link.
On the Road:
Overhead and roadside electronic signs – Overhead and freeway signs provide emergency and incident alerts and, in some Seattle-area locations during rush hours, point-to-point travel times.
Highway advisory radio - Yellow signs with flashing lights alert drivers to tune into radio frequencies airing construction updates.
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