Date:  Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Contact: Brian White, WSDOT I-90 Project Director (509) 945-3680
Amy Danberg, I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Communications (206) 962-9635

HYAK – Drivers headed over Snoqualmie Pass can expect to see work crews and lane closures starting May 6 and lasting through October. Geotechnical experts are using special drilling equipment to collect soil and foundation core samples for the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project. Construction begins in 2010 but experts are working now to gather critical information as engineers continue design on the half-billion dollar widening project.

“When you are designing a roadway project between steep mountainous slopes and a reservoir lake – we need all the information we can get,” said Brian White, WSDOT’s I-90 Project Director. “This work is a continuation of two years worth of investigation into the rock slopes over, along side, and in Keechelus Lake.”

During daylight hours, Tuesday, May 6, through Friday, May 9, WSDOT crews will:
work in the westbound lanes and shoulders of I-90 between mile posts 60 and 58, and work in the eastbound shoulders of I-90 between mile posts 58 and 60.
Drivers should expect delays up to 20 minutes as lane and shoulder closures are required during this activity.

WSDOT asks drivers to know before you go or tune in while on the road:

• Visit us online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I90/SnoqualmiePassEast 
• Tune into the highway advisory radio messages on AM 530 and AM 1610
• Call 511
• TTY users call 1-800-833-6388
• Overhead and roadside electronic signs provide emergency and delay information

I-90 is the main east-west transportation corridor across Washington State. The uninterrupted movement of people, freight, and business over Snoqualmie Pass is essential to quality of life and the economic vitality of the state. WSDOT will improve I-90 by providing a safer, more efficient six-lane freeway from Hyak to Easton.

As part of the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project, WSDOT will straighten roadway curves, replace old pavement, and reduce rock fall and avalanche hazards. WSDOT will also construct wildlife crossings over and under I-90 for the safe movement of wildlife and enhance wetlands and habitats throughout the corridor. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2010 on the first five miles of the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project between Hyak and Keechelus Dam.

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Drivers can now get real time traffic and weather information by dialing 5-1-1 from most phones. This new traveler information system builds upon the highly successful Washington State Highway hotline that managed 4.6 million calls each year. Callers can also use 5-1-1 to get statewide construction, mountain pass condition, and state ferry system information, as well as toll free numbers for passenger rail and airlines. TTY users can call 1-800-833-6388.

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