Date:  Monday, October 26, 2009

Contact: Stacy Trussler, Eastside Corridor Deputy Director, (425) 456-8563
Steve Peer, I-405 Communications, (425) 301-2023

BOTHELL – Today WSDOT celebrated with morning and afternoon commuters as work on I-405 and SR 167 reached major milestones.

I-405 Bothell

This morning, WSDOT and contractor Kiewit Pacific Co. broke ground on a $19.3 million, stimulus-funded project to add a new northbound lane on I-405 between NE 195th Street and State Route 527 in Canyon Park. The new 1.8 mile lane will increase travel speeds and reduce congestion and collisions for northbound I-405 commuters.

“This project was not scheduled to be complete until 2015,” said Jerry Lenzi, Assistant State Secretary of Transportation. “Stimulus funds allowed us to move this forward by five years. It’s pretty remarkable when you think about it. Congestion relief will start five years earlier than planned.”

The new lane will:

•  Increase travel speeds for all drivers up to 25 mph during the afternoon commute. Check out this camera on northbound I-405 at 4 p.m. to see what we will fix: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/i405_195th.htm#cam.
• Ease congestion for more than 50 buses that use this section of road each day.
•  Make it easier and faster to get to the Canyon Park Freeway Station Park and Ride, which is packed by 6:15 every morning.

Because contractors are hungry for work and commuters are eager to use the new lane, WSDOT and Kiewit put in place an aggressive work plan. We expect the new lane to be open by June 2010.

The construction bid of $19.3 million came in lower than expected so extra Recovery Act funds will be available for a secondary list of projects totaling more than $80 million.

SR 167 Renton

WSDOT’s other milestone is on SR 167 in Renton. Today at 1 p.m. WSDOT contractors will open a new 1.5 mile southbound lane between I-405 and SW 41st Street, giving drivers three general purpose lanes and one HOT lane to use during the afternoon commute. Use this camera to see workers pulling barrels off the road between noon and 1 p.m. and see the new lane in action this afternoon: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/i405_sr167_interchange.htm#cam

“As we continue to open new lanes and add capacity on the corridor, we’ve seen increased speeds and reduced commute times,” said Kim Henry, Eastside Corridor Director. “With this new lane open, we expect similar results.”

The new lane is part of the $91.5 million I-405/I-5 to SR 169 Stage 1 – Widening Project that will also open a new lane in each direction of I-405 between I-5 and SR 167 later this fall. The project was funded by the 2003 and the 2005 gas tax increases.

On weekdays about 143,000 drivers travel on I-405 through Renton and Tukwila. When we open this lane on I-405 it will mark another significant milestone in the project.

Though the new lane will open for the busy evening commute starting this afternoon, drivers may experience sporadic closures of the lane during non-peak hours so crews can put the finishing touches on the project, such as landscaping.

To learn more about the overall improvement plan for the I-405 and SR 167 corridor, please go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I405/.

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