Date:
Monday, April 21, 2008
Contact:
Jamie Holter, WSDOT Communications, (206) 440-4698 (Seattle)
SEATTLE – WSDOT chose the week of April 21 to officially mark the 2008 construction season. It’s a week marked by multiple milestones: significant structure work, ground-breaking traffic changes and wrap-up tasks for one of the Puget Sound’s biggest projects ever, the widening on I-5 through Everett.
“There was a time when WSDOT began its construction season late winter and ended in late fall. That’s certainly not the case in recent years,” said Lorena Eng, WSDOT Regional Administrator. “Our crews and contractors are hard at work delivering projects laid out by the Legislature in the 2003 and 2005 funding packages. And that means major milestones throughout the year – and certainly in the next two weeks.”
The funding packages are fueling this year’s construction work:
- King County - 77 projects under construction for $367 million
- Pierce County - 21 projects for $44 million
- Snohomish County - 28 projects for $77 million
- Skagit, Island and Whatcom counties - 26 projects under construction totaling more than $121 million
- View maps of these projects
WSDOT chose Monday, April 21 to kick off the 2008 construction year because the week is packed with ground breakings, ribbon cuttings, and multiple milestones, proving that construction is a year-round business.
- In Everett this week, crews are watching for dry weather to restripe and open the last segment of new HOV lanes on northbound I-5. Last week, they opened 2.5 miles of southbound HOV lane, a portion of the northbound HOV lane, and removed the work zone in the middle of southbound I-5. They plan to have all lanes and ramps open to traffic exactly one month from today. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/HOVSR526toUS2/
- On Tuesday, crews will set several girders on southbound I-405 at Oakesdale Avenue in Renton to widen the highway. The Tukwila to Bellevue section of I-405 is considered the worst highway bottlenecks in the state. When this project is complete, drivers will have an additional lane in each direction between I-5 and SR 169. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/i405/I5toSR169/
- A week from today, April 28, drivers will see a series of overnight, eastbound I-90 closures at I-405 as crews set 32 girders in South Bellevue as we widen I-405. This new structure will carry southbound I-405 traffic early next year. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/i405/112thAvetoSE8th/
- Saturday, May 3, WSDOT will debut the state’s first high occupancy toll lanes. The 167 HOT lanes will allow solo drivers use the carpool lanes for a fee that changes with the level of congestion. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR167/HOTLanes/faq.htm#what
- Starting this week and lasting into the summer, crews at Snoqualmie Pass will close lanes as they check the stability of rocks. In 2010, we begin a major $545 million project to widen I-90 and increase protection against avalanche danger through the pass. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I90/SnoqualmiePassEast/HyaktoKeechelusDam/
- This weekend, we’ll also start major weekend work on I-5 through Bellingham to replace the cracked and bumpy pavement that rattles cars and trucks headed to and from the Canadian border. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/36thStToSlaterRdRepairs
We are delivering these projects to add capacity, manage demand and increase efficiency of our roads. But we need drivers help as we build these projects. To do this, drivers have many options to get WSDOT construction information. Drivers can:
- get information about our road closures, traffic information, emergency closures and other construction. We always encourage drivers and the media to check our traffic Web pages for up-to-the minute road information. www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts/pugetsound.aspx
- check our construction pages deliver a day-by-day, hour-by hour accounting of what’s going on. Find your route and bookmark the pages important to you. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Northwest/Construction/
- check our cameras and traffic maps on the Web to monitor traffic. We’ve added new cameras in Everett, on US 2 and at the US/Canada border just this year. www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/
- Call 511 and watch for yellow flashing beacons that give you a heads up on construction or emergency lane closures.
We always remind drivers to keep their eyes on the road as they travel through our construction zones. The majority of people killed or injured in work zones are not highway workers. They are drivers or passengers. Slow down in work zones. The life you save may be your own.
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