Date:  Friday, July 10, 2009

Contact: Bronlea Mishler, WSDOT Communications, 360-757-5947 (Burlington)

BELLINGHAM – Crews begin work early Monday morning to repair and repave a nearly 17-mile stretch of Mount Baker Highway (SR 542) between Bellingham and Kendall.

Granite Northwest of Everett was awarded the $3.56 million contract to repave SR 542 from Britton Road to Coal Creek, and a half-mile of SR 9 from SR 542 to Smith Creek.

During the repaving work, crews will use a new-to-WSDOT process called hot in-place paving. This involves a train of equipment that will heat, loosen, remove, mix, lay and compact the asphalt in one fell swoop. Essentially, this process recycles most of the existing asphalt.

Work will kick off at 5 a.m. July 13 as crews work along an eight-mile stretch of SR 542 between Britton Road and Nugents Corner. Crews expect to work in the area from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Drivers will face minor delays as crews close one lane in the work zone.

Crews will also work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday between Nugents Corner and the Coal Creek bridge, east of Deming. Crews will also close one lane in this area, and flaggers will direct drivers through the work zone.

While crews are repaving, they will also update signs and guardrails, repaint lane lines, replace raised pavement markers and install rumble strips.

For more details about the project, visit its Web page www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR542/BrittonToCoalCreek/.  

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