Date:
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Contact:
Jeff Adamson, North Central Region Communications Manager, Wenatchee, (509) 667-2815, (509) 669-8778 Cell. E-mail: adamsoj@wsdot.wa.gov
Mike Fleming, North Central Region Project Engineer, Wenatchee (509) 667-2870 E-mail: fleminm@wsdot.wa.gov
WENATCHEE – After a week of unseasonable snowy weather, participants in the ground breaking ceremony to kick off construction of the new interchange at the Big Y enjoyed sunshine and a temperature near 60 on Thursday morning. 12th District State Senator Linda Evans Parlette (R- Wenatchee) keynoted the event, stressing the safety improvement it will bring. Next Monday, April 7th, construction gets underway on the new diamond interchange where the Stevens and Blewett Pass highways intersect between Cashmere and Leavenworth in Chelan County. This $21.6 million “Nickel” project addresses safety deficiencies identified in the 2002 US 2/97 Safety Corridor Study. The Big Y intersection is a High Accident location – the scene of five fatalities over ten years.
Removal of several acres of orchard, a fruit stand, a Texaco station and a mini storage as well as extensive utility relocations have been underway since right of way acquisition was completed last October. One of the first things motorists will see being built is a temporary roadway so the new overpass bridges can be built. When the bridges are done and US 97 is relocated under US 2, that temporary roadway will become the on and off ramps for the north side of the interchange. Drivers will be using the new interchange by mid October, but the project won’t be complete until the summer of 2009.
During construction a temporary traffic signal is being installed at the existing Big Y intersection of US 2 and US 97 because construction of the temporary bypass roadway will take away the existing turn lane. As work begins, the speed limit drops from 50 to 30 through the work zone to protect motorists and the construction crew. This project has also been chosen as a test site for a legislative pilot project that uses automated traffic safety cameras to enforce work zone speed limits.
The project also includes two transit bus pullouts with sidewalks to a reconstructed Park and Ride lot, a multi-function under-crossing and other improvements to the connecting county road system. KLB Construction of Mukilteo was the low bidder for the construction contract at $9,776,446.25, 14% below the engineering estimate.
Visit the project web site:www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/US2/97_PeshastinEast_IC/
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